Varied Carpet Beetle - (Anthrenus verbasci)

The multicolored Varied Carpet Beetle is a tiny indoor anomaly that is often seen on furniture, curtains and carpet.

Staff Writer (6/13/2017): Adults can be found outdoors where they feed on pollen from a variety of flowers. Their larvae, however, can become pests inside homes as well as in universities. They feed on many household items: clothing made from natural fibers (wool, silk, cotton), carpets (hence their name), linens (tablecloths, napkins, curtains), woolen items (rugs, sweaters, socks) and even breakfast cereal. Larvae prefer eating dead bugs and spiders. Because of this, Varied Carpet Beetle larvae have decimated specimen collections in stored in many science departments and museums.

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Details of the:
Varied Carpet Beetle

Category: Beetle
Common name: Varied Carpet Beetle
Scientific Name: Anthrenus verbasci

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Dermestidae

Genus: Anthrenus

Species: verbasci

Size (Adult, Length): 2mm to 4mm (0.08in to 0.16in)

Identifying Colors: yellow; white; brown; black; tan; orange

Additional Descriptors: tiny, multi-colored

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming; Alberta; British Columbia; Manitoba; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Saskatchewan; Mexico

* Keep in mind that an insect's reach is not limited by lines on a map and therefore may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.

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