Skin beetle larva

Description:

Beetle larva looking like a short, hairy milipede about 18mm long. Annular rings are alternately shiny smooth and textured. Few sets of legs near the front.

Habitat:

Inside layers of rotting pine log in a local nature reserve.

Notes:

"Hide beetles are some of the most important animals present in the final stages of decomposition of a carcass. The adults and larvae are not predaceous and feed on the dried skin, tendons and bone left by the fly larvae. Hide beetles are the only beetle with the enzymes necessary for breaking down keratin, a protein component of hair." - Australian Museum
order: COLEOPTERA
suborder: POLYPHAGA
superfamily: BOSTRICHOIDEA
family: DERMESTIDAE
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:b...