Neem, Azadirachta indica, products were tested for toxic, growth regulating, primary antifeedant, and secondary antifeedant effects on Dermestes maculatus, under conditions approximating those found in storage facilities. Toxic and growth regulating effects were investigated using topical application of mineral oil, neem oil, purified azadirachtin/methanol solution, and 10% neem seed kernel extract/methanol solution. All neem treatments exhibited higher mortality than the mineral oil treatment 5, 10, and 14 days after the application of the treatments; larvae treated with neem products often failed to pupate and never emerged as adults. Primary antifeedant effects of azadirachtin (1.5 g/L and 5 g/L) were investigated with an original no-choice feeding bioassay. Significant primary antifeedant effects were observed which were persistent for up to 13 weeks for adults and 17 weeks for larvae. Significant secondary antifeedant effects were also demonstrated after topical application of azadirachtin (.125 g/L, .25 g/L and .5 g/L) to the larvae.

No description available.

The dermestid beetle (Dermestes maculatus) has become renowned in the laboratory as an aid to skeletonization of remains, both for the zoologist and the anthropologist. However, little attention has been paid to the potential effects these insects can have on hard tissues and whether their traces may be mistaken for trauma or the effects of taphonomic processes. The use of dermestid beetles in the anthropology laboratory was tested by a choice experiment based on ASTM D3345-17, examining the behavior of D. maculatus regarding Styrofoam, wood, and two types of bone. Specifically, this project tested 1.) whether the beetles showed preference for a particular material (of wood, Styrofoam, dry bone, or green bone), 2.) whether material(s) had an impact on survivorship from the larval to adult stages, and 3.) what traces dermestids leave on skeletal remains and the variation in form of those traces. Results suggest dermestid beetles will preferentially bore pupal chambers in softer materials (Styrofoam > wood > dry bone > green bone), but preference is not absolute, as pits appear in dry bone even when softer materials are present. Preference did not appear to impact survivorship. Information on the “typical” form of dermestid trace on materials is presented, as an aid to identifying these features as resulting from taphonomic processes, as opposed to ante- or perimortem processes/events.