About Thylodrias contractus Motschulsky, 1839
Thylodrias contractus is an elongate beetle with slender legs. Males can be identified by their yellowish-brown elytra and a covering of silky white hairs. The male abdomen has seven sternal segments, and their antennae are filamentous instead of club-shaped; this trait distinguishes Thylodrias contractus from all other members of the Dermestidae family. Females look very different from males. They resemble larvae, are free-living, and have legs and antennae, but lack elytra and hind wings. The larvae of this odd beetle look similar to the larvae of most other Dermestidae, but they lack a posterior tuft of hair and any long hairs along the dorsal body surface. A row of short bristles is located at the end of each body segment. Like all beetles, the odd beetle undergoes complete metamorphosis, a process that involves dramatic reorganization of the insect's body plan and forms two distinct life stages (growth and reproduction) separated by a pupal phase. Even though females are larviform, they also undergo metamorphosis from a true larva to a sexually mature adult. Once Thylodrias contractus reaches sexual maturity, the female produces a sex pheromone that attracts males. After mating, the female stops producing this pheromone, which suggests that females mate only once. There is no evidence that males share this mating pattern.
