Variegated carpet beetle
Scientific name: Anthrenus verbasci
Family: Dermestidae
Distribution
Worldwide, common in houses and in museums.
Pest Type
Secondary pest, scavenger
Identification
Adult A. verbasci are 1.7–3.5 mm in length. They are almost spherical in shape, and their elytra and pronotum are covered in white, brownish, and yellowish scales, creating an irregular pattern. The antennae form a three-segmented club.
The larvae are sometimes called “woolly bears” and are 4.0–5.0 mm long. They are elongated and densely covered in hair. The body is wider at the back than at the front. There are tufts of hairs at the rear that converge over the tip of the abdomen.
Life Cycle
At optimum conditions of 35℃, the life cycle will be completed in 70–80 days. Females lay eggs on the commodity. Larvae are mobile and they cast skins throughout infested material. The adults don’t feed on commodities and have a short life span.
Commodities attacked
Dried organic material, especially of animal origins like hides, biological specimens, wool, and skin.
Economic Importance
High in herbaria, museums and domestic situations, low elsewhere.
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