Insect of the Month: Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci)
Varied carpet beetles are commonly found in nests of bees, wasps, and birds, but can also attack, horn, wool, hair, silk, dead insects and are occasionally found in meal, spices, and biscuits. It is a common household pest.
Only larvae cause damage to plants, animal products, and textiles. The presence of cast skins is easily seen. Holes and frayed fibers in textiles also may be present.
Adults are excellent fliers and are attracted to lights.
What do varied carpet beetles look like?
Adults: 2-3 mm (0.08-0.12 inches) long, black to grey body with a varied pattern of white, yellow, and brown elongated scales attached. The last three antennal segments are slightly enlarged and form club shape.
Eggs: Oval, ivory in color, and 0.5 mm (0.02 inches) long.
Larvae: Yellowish brown with black and brown hairs. Up to 5 mm (0.2 inches) long, hairy, with three distinct pairs of hairy tufts at the tail end; three pairs of thoracic legs.
Pupae: Pupal cases brownish with dark beetles inside the pupal chamber.
What is the varied carpet beetle life cycle?
The female beetle will lay eggs in materials made with hair, feather or insect parts. It is a scavenger for animal proteins. Larvae will feed off the food or fiber substance for about 7-10 months depending on the environment.
The life cycle on average will be 11 months. Adults live for 30-45 days. One generation occurs per year depending on storage conditions. Adults actively fly when temperature is above 21°C (70°F).
Monitoring Guidelines for Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci)
Click on the image or insect name above to view monitoring guidelines for varied carpet beetles. These guideline include details on Description, Lifecycle, Damage and Detection, Corresponding Products, Fun Facts, and more!
Stay tuned
Next week we are going to be sharing a solution Insects Limited offers when dealing with varied carpet beetles.
Insects Limited, an Insect Pheromone Company
Insects Limited, Inc. researches, tests, develops, manufactures and distributes pheromones and trapping systems for insects in a global marketplace. The highly qualified staff also can assist with consultation, areas of expert witness, training presentations and grant writing.
Insects Limited, Inc. specializes in a unique niche of pest control that provides mainstream products and services to protect stored food, grain, museum collections, tobacco, timber and fiber worldwide. Please take some time to view these products and services in our web store.
