Are there any bugs which specifically eat dead animals?

Question

I had to clean up some road kill (squirrel) on the curb outside my house tonight, and when I picked up the rotting squirrel, there were all these weird beetles (there must been hundreds of them) running all over under the body. there were about 1/2 - 1 inch long, elongated body, black with a white stripe in the middle (side to side not front to back), with a kind of "bumpy" surface to them -- almost like spines. I pretty much know what kind of bugs live around here (I do a lot of yard work) but I have never in my life seen these before!! Any ideas? (they moved too fast and I didn't have a container to put them into -- I'll have to try again sometime and bring a jar next time -- problem is I've got to wait for more road kill.) Ugh, the things we do for scientific knowledge ! :_))

Answer 1

They're called Dermestids. Derm being the root of skin

You know that they can tell how long a body has been left by the size and life stages of the occupying maggots.

Answer 2

Bugs That Eat Dead Animals

Answer 3

The skin beetles or Dermestidae (Gyllenhaal 1808) are a beetle family. The family includes about 700 species found worldwide. The common names "carpet beetle," "larder beetle," "museum beetle," or "bow bug" apply more specifically to some of the sub-groups of this family.

They are generally of a compact or round shape, ranging in size from 1 to 12 mm, and of a dark overall color; most are densely covered with scales or setae, some with patterns of white, yellow, red, or brown. The (usually) clubbed antennae fit into deep grooves. The hind femur also fit into recesses of the coxa.

Dermestids have a variety of habits; most genera are scavengers that feed on dry animal or plant material such as skin or pollen. Members of Dermestes are found in animal carcasses, while others may be found in mammal, bird, bee, or wasp nests.

They are used in natural history museums to clean animal skeletons. Some dermestid species, commonly called "bow bugs," infest violin cases, feeding on the bow hair.

Thaumaglossa only lives in the egg cases of mantids, while Trogoderma species are pests of grain.

Answer 4

You really should watch more CSI, yes there are several bugs that specifically only eat dead flesh.
The common maggot (immature fly) only eats dead flesh.

Hospitals are actually starting to use them for wounds that won't heal properly by digesting the dead flesh, aneasthitizing the area, cleaning the area and allowing better blood flow and oxygen to get to the area.

Kinda gross, but if I had a wound that wouldn't heal...I'd try anything...even maggots.

Answer 5

There are some bugs and they feast on carcasses. Some of them are maggots, blood sucking leaches and there are some other kind of bugs which look black and slender and they normally feed on carcasses and dung. Oops i do not remember the name of that bug.

Answer 6

of course