The genus is distributed worldwide.

[1] The larvae of these beetles feed on dead and dried animal material, including dead bodies, dried meat and fish, and body parts such as bone, hair, skin, and feathers.

They are pests of museums, where they feed on specimens such as dried insects and stuffed animals.

They may be useful in museum settings as well, where they are used in facilities called dermestaria to clean tissue from skeletons.

[2] Some species may play a role in forensic entomology when they are found on human corpses.