Hide beetles have evolved over millions of years to specialize on animal tissue, ranging from soft muscle to tougher connective material, helping drive the mid-stage transition of a small carcass from flesh to cleaned bone. This activity releases nutrients back into the environment and shapes the microbial succession that follows.

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From a human perspective, Dermestes are both useful and problematic. They are indispensable in museums and research facilities for cleaning skeletons—even small mammals—yet can also become pests in stored animal products. Their predictable arrival order and feeding patterns make them also valuable in forensic entomology, helping estimate the postmortem interval.

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