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This is a definition of silk from one publication: "Sericin is a hot water-soluble macromolecular globular protein. It represents a family of proteins having molecular mass of 10 to 310 kDa. Sericin envelops the fibroin fibre with successive sticky layers that help in the formation of cocoon. Sericin contributes about 20-30% of the total cocoon weight. The sericin protein is made of 18 amino acids most of which have strongly polar side groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl and amino groups." I'd say that silk is a protein, but is not keratin containing. Dermestids don't feed on silk, but possibly tineid caterpillars are able to? Yes, it's true that both tineid and dermestid larvae will chew on silks as Tom notes, especially if there are stains and residues that must be "tasty". In a natural situation, in caterpillar silk mats and spider webs or retreats, there can be parts of shed skins, dried insect and arachnid corpses (including dried spider prey), and the like that would constitute a good diet for foraging dermestid and tineid larvae. On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:49:22 -0500, bugma...@aol.com wrote: > This is a message from the Museumpests List. > To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.net > To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > Neither dermestids nor clothes moth larvae eat silk. Silk has no keratin (animal protein) in it. The text books are wrong. If dermestids or clothes moth larvae damage silk, they inadvertently do so as they graze on the sizing. Silk threads are so fine, the larvae may damage them, but they are not "feeding" on the silken threads. They simply chew through them as they forage of the sizing. Wool, horse hair, whale baleen, porcupine quills, embroidery, etc. all have keratin and will support fabric pest larval development. > > Tom Parker > > -----Original Message----- > From: Tony Irwin > To: pestlist > Sent: Wed, Dec 21, 2011 5:47 pm > Subject: RE: [pestlist] identification help sought > > This is a message from the Museumpests List. > To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.net [21] > To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > If the larva is that of an Odd Beetle (I have some doubts), then it is a potential threat to the collections if they contain silk or wool. It would be worth checking any upholstery containing these materials for damage. > Tony > > Dr A.G.Irwin, Natural History Department, Castle Museum Study Centre, > Shirehall, Market Avenue, Norwich NR1 3JQ, England. > Tel:+44 1603 493642. E-mail: tony.ir...@btinternet.com [22] > >> -----Original Message----- >> FROM: ad...@museumpests.net [1] [mailto:ad...@museumpests.net [2]]ON BEHALF OF bugma...@aol.com [3] >> SENT: 21 December 2011 19:13 >> TO: pestlist@museumpests.net [4] >> SUBJECT: Re: [pestlist] identification help sought >> >> This is a message from the Museumpests List. >> To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.net [5] >> To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. >> ----------------------------------------------------------- >> >> Whitney - >> >> The beetles are not a direct threat to collections. It looks like they are a click beetle (Elateridae), a type of darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae), and another one I can't quite make out. The larva appears to be an Odd Beetle. It's one of those strange dermestid beetles, whose larvae feed on protein materials. >> >> Tom Parker >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Whitney Robertson >> To: pestlist >> Sent: Wed, Dec 21, 2011 2:00 pm >> Subject: [pestlist] identification help sought >> >> This is a message from the Museumpests List. >> To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.net [8] >> To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. >> ----------------------------------------------------------- >> >> Hello all, >> >> Yesterday, I discovered a pretty gnarly network of spiderwebs in one of our furniture storage areas and, upon cleaning them up, found three dead beetles and a live (!) larva. I am fairly new to insect ID and would love a little help identifying the bugs. I have attached some (admittedly pretty poor) photos and would appreciate any insight you might be able to share. >> >> Thanks very much! >> Whitney Robertson >> >> Whitney A. J. Robertson >> Museum Collections Manager >> The Society of the Cincinnati >> >> Anderson House >> 2118 Massachusetts Avenue NW >> Washington, DC 20008 >> T 202.785.2040 x429 >> F 202.785.0729 >> wrobert...@societyofthecincinnati.org [9] >> www.societyofthecincinnati.org [10] >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To send an email to the list, send your msg to pestlist@museumpests.Net [11] >> >> To unsubscribe from this list send an email to pestlist@museumpests.net [12] and in the subject put: >> "unsubscribe" - no quotes please. >> >> You are receiving the Pestlist emails in standard mode. >> To change to the DIGEST mode send an >> email to imail...@museumpests.net [13] with this command in the body: >> >> set mode digest pestlist >> >> Any problems email l...@collectionpests.com [14] or l...@zaks.com [15] >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To send an email to the list, send your msg to pestlist@museumpests.Net [16] >> >> To unsubscribe from this list send an email to pestlist@museumpests.net [17] and in the subject put: >> "unsubscribe" - no quotes please. >> >> You are receiving the Pestlist emails in standard mode. >> To change to the DIGEST mode send an >> email to imail...@museumpests.net [18] with this command in the body: >> >> set mode digest pestlist >> >> Any problems email l...@collectionpests.com [19] or l...@zaks.com [20] > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To send an email to the list, send your msg to pestlist@museumpests.Net [23] > > To unsubscribe from this list send an email to pestlist@museumpests.net [24] and in the subject put: > "unsubscribe" - no quotes please. > > You are receiving the Pestlist emails in standard mode. > To change to the DIGEST mode send an > email to imail...@museumpests.net [25] with this command in the body: > > set mode digest pestlist > > Any problems email l...@collectionpests.com [26] or l...@zaks.com [27] > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To send an email to the list, send your msg to pestlist@museumpests.Net > > To unsubscribe from this list send an email to pestlist@museumpests.net and in the subject put: > "unsubscribe" - no quotes please. > > You are receiving the Pestlist emails in standard mode. > To change to the DIGEST mode send an > email to imail...@museumpests.net with this command in the body: > > set mode digest pestlist > > Any problems email l...@collectionpests.com or l...@zaks.com -- ----------- Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail Louis N. 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