Carpet Beetle: pictures, information, classification and more

Carpet Beetle

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Carpet Beetle, common name for a member of the hide beetle family, the larvae of which feed on carpets and various other materials of animal origin. The adult beetle is about 4 mm (about 0.16 in) long and oval in form, with black, red, and white markings on the back and white scales on the underside. The spindle-shaped larva has tufts of stiff bristles along the sides and at the ends of the body. The beetle eggs are deposited in cracks in the floor under carpet. The developing larvae then feed on the carpet, often following the cracks and cutting long slits. They are also pests of museum specimens, especially the remains of other insects.

Scientific classification: The carpet beetle belongs to the family Dermestidae, order Coleoptera. It is classified as Anthrenus scrophulariae.