The World Catalogue of the Dermestidae (Coleoptera) contains the list of subfamilies, tribes and subtribes, list of genera and subgenera, systematic catalogue of all known taxons including new nomenclatorial acts, new distributional records, list of type depositions, infrasubspecific names, bibliography and alphabetical index of names of genera, subgenera and their synonyms. It contains all the taxa described until February 28, 2014.

The economic importance of the Dermestidae has long been recognized by entomologists. In the larval stages its members feed upon, damage, or destroy household furnishings, a large variety of goods made of leather, hair, fur, wool, and silk, dried animal remains, museum specimens and exhibits, and insect collections. The larvae are also destructive to stored products of many kinds, including bacon, cheese, cork, seeds, cereals and cereal products, and they have been known to damage telephone fuses and batteries containing lead.

A comprehensive work covering the about 100,000 species of Coleoptera known to occur in the Palaearctic Region. The complete work is planned for 8 volumes that will be published in intervals of about 18 months.