Species: Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci)
Family: Larder beetles (DERMESTIDAE)
Category: Insects (Other)
Location: Widespread
A. Insects (Other)
More extensive information on insects can be found in a separate blog post.
B. Larder beetles (DERMESTIDAE)
Larder beetles - or skin beetles, carpet beetles, hide beetles and leather beetles - are a family of small beetles numbered nearly 2,000 individual species. They are predominantly scavengers.
Most beetles in this family are small - under a centimetre in length - possessing hairy or scaly wing casings, often with interesting patterns and colouring.
These small beetles are ubiquitous, and their presence in crime scenes is often helpful in the forensic determination of a time of death.
C. Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci)
Varied carpet beetles are about 3 millimetres long and are usually found indoors feeding off carpets, furniture and fabrics. They feed on pollen outdoors when looking for a mate - as the photographs shown here clearly show.
As their name suggests, they have a varied appearance. The photographs here show a brown variant and a black and white one.
Images
Varied Carpet Beetle
Varied carpet beetles are about 3 millimetres long and are usually found indoors feeding off carpets, furniture and fabrics.
(Photo credit: Stuart MA Ball.)
Varied Carpet Beetle
Varied Carpet Beetles feed on pollen outdoors when looking for a mate - as the photographs shown here clearly show.
Varied Carpet Beetle
Varied Carpet Beetles feed on pollen outdoors when looking for a mate - as the photographs shown here clearly show.
