Varied Carpet Beetle Larvae Identification

Larvae are similarly sized and have a tapered body.

Varied carpet beetle larvae identification.

Adult black carpet beetles range from 1 8 to 3 16 inch long. Dear concerned evelyn this is a varied carpet beetle a common household pest and your letter is the third we opened today for a varied carpet beetle identification so we are posting your letter to assist folks visiting our site who are also troubled by carpet beetles. Dear matt this is a varied carpet beetle a common household pest and one of our most frequent identification requests. The larvae of varied carpet beetles have light and dark stripes on their bodies and are covered with dark hairs.

Identification adult black carpet beetles are oval and shiny black with brownish legs. Larvae frequently staying hidden when feeding are golden to dark brown and about 1 2 inch long. Black carpet beetle larvae are smooth with no hair and are either brown or black. Adult carpet beetles feed on pollen but larvae will eat a wide variety of organic items in the home.

The varied carpet beetle is a 3 mm long beetle belonging to the family dermestidae. The most likely sign is their damage. Larvae have alternating light and dark stripes and are covered with tiny hairs that can be puffed up if larvae are disturbed. They have zig zag bands of yellow white brown and black on their wing coverings.

Adult carpet beetles may be seen flying to lights or crawling on surfaces. Verbasci was also the first insect to be shown to have an annual behavioral rhythm and to date remains a classic example of circannual cycles in animals. They vary in body length from 1 8 to 3 16 inch. To know where to focus the brunt of your cleaning first look for the primary source of the infestation which will be the area with the most signs of damage and beetles.

Identifying larvae larvae also may be seen crawling on surfaces. We just posted an image of a varied carpet beetle yesterday and it was on the top of our homepage when you submitted your request. Adult varied carpet beetles can be found outdoors where they feed on pollen from a variety of flowers. Full sized larvae can be as long as 5 16 inch and range from light brown to almost black.

Furniture carpet beetle larvae are white and then mature to a red or chestnut color with brown bands across the body. They are shiny black and dark brown with brownish legs. Infestations are often identified by the presence of adult carpet beetles which gather around windows and lights. Adult varied carpet beetles are small 3 5 millimeters or about an eighth of an inch rounded beetles with dark colored or patterned wing covers depending on the species.

Their larvae however can become pests inside homes universities and museums. They are a common species often considered a pest of domestic houses and particularly natural history museums where the larvae may damage natural fibers and can damage carpets furniture clothing and insect collections.