TRICHODERMATA  .—Several families of rather soft-skinned beetles, such as the Melyridae, Cleridae (fig . 16), Corynetidae, Dermestidae (fig . 17), and Das- cillidae, are included in this tribe . They may be distinguished from the

Malacodermata by the presence of only five or six abdominal sterna, while six malpighian tubes are present in some of the families . The beetles are hairy and their larvae well-armoured and often predaceous . Several species of Dermestidae are commonly found in houses, feeding on cheeses, dried meat, skins and other such substances . The " bacon beetle " (Dermestes lardarius), and its hard hairy larva, are well known . According to Sharp, all Dermestid larvae probably feed on dried animal matters; he mentions one species that can find sufficient food in the horsehair of furniture, and another that eats the dried insect-skins hanging in old cobwebs .