Trogoderma variable: a model species for control of Dermestids in museums

Insects of the family Dermestidae are common insect pests of museums and other sites where historical artifacts are displayed and stored. Trogoderma variabile (Ballion), the warehouse beetle, is a member of this family, and though it is more commonly associated with processed and finished stored food products, it can be found in museums. There are aspects relating to monitoring and control of T. variabile that are relevant to control programs for this species, and may also be more broadly related to the Dermestidae as a whole. Although fumigation, freezing and anoxia are perhaps the dominant control methods, there are alternatives that are being evaluated for stored product insects, which in turn could be adapted for specific situations. In particular, contact insecticides show promise for incorporation into existing control programs for museum pests. In this paper, we discuss recent studies with T. variabile and suggest use of this species as a model insect for evaluating control strategies for museum pests.