Larvae are white at first but darken to dark red or chestnut brown as they mature. If these scales have worn off, the adults can appear solid black. Coloration and markings vary, but the furniture carpet beetle generally has a mottled appearance due to the black spots that intersperse the white and dark yellow to orange scales on its wing covers. When viewed from above, adults of the furniture carpet beetle, Anthrenus flavipes, are slightly larger and rounder than the varied carpet beetle. Female adult varied carpet beetles live 2 to 6 weeks while the adult males live 2 to 4 weeks. They remain as pupae for 10 to 13 days before emerging as adults. The larvae live for 220 to 630 days before pupating. Varied carpet beetles typically lay 40 eggs which take 10 to 20 days to hatch. They have alternating light and dark brown stripes and are distinguishable from other carpet beetle larvae because they are broader in the rear and narrower in front. If disturbed, they extend these tufts upright into a round plume. Mature larvae are slightly longer than adults and are covered with dense tufts of hair. Adults usually appear in spring or early summer indoors, you'll often find them near windows. Indoors, beetles deposit eggs on or near wool carpets and rugs, woolen goods, animal skins, furs, stuffed animals, leather book bindings, feathers, animal horns, whalebone, hair, silk, dried plant products, and other materials that can serve as larval food. These nests and webs contain dead insects, beeswax, pollen, feathers, or other debris that can serve as larval food. Outdoors, female beetles seek out spider webs or bee, wasp, or bird nests as places to lay their eggs. In older adults, the scales that form this pattern wear off, so the beetles appear solid brown or black. The adult varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci, is about 1/10 inch long and black with an irregular pattern of white, brown, and dark yellow scales on its wing covers.
Biscuit beetle life cycle windows#
When carpet beetle adults are found indoors, they are typically seen near windows on sills, drapes, or window panes. Carpet beetles frequently fly into homes from flowers in the landscape, but are accidentally and frequently brought inside on items such as cut flowers. With their rounded bodies and short antennae, carpet beetle adults somewhat resemble common lady beetles in shape but are much smaller in size.Ĭarpet beetle adults do not feed on fabrics but seek out pollen and nectar so are generally found outdoors, often found feeding on the flowers of crape myrtle, spiraea, buckwheat, and other plants that produce abundant pollen.
Biscuit beetle life cycle skin#
They might also pupate within their last larval skin if no other shelter is available.Īlthough carpet beetle larvae do not make webs as clothes moths do, their shed skins and fecal pellets, which are about the size of a grain of salt, make it obvious where they have been feeding.
When ready to pupate, the larvae might burrow further into the food or wander and burrow elsewhere. Eggs hatch in about 2 weeks under typical indoor conditions (room temperature: 25-26 C° or 77-78 F°), and the larvae feed for varying periods, depending upon the species and environmental conditions they prefer dark, secluded places. Adults lay eggs on food sources such as furs, woolen fabric, and carpets. IDENTIFICATION AND LIFE CYCLEĪll 3 carpet beetle species have similar life cycles (See Table 1 for the tabular version of this information).
In California, 3 species of carpet beetles cause serious damage to fabrics, carpets, furs, stored food, and preserved specimens such as taxidermies: the varied carpet beetle ( Anthrenus verbasci), the furniture carpet beetle ( Anthrenus flavipes), and the black carpet beetle ( Attagenus unicolor).
Black carpet beetle larva (left) and adult (right).Ĭarpet beetles, which belong to the family of beetles known as dermestids, are pests in warehouses, homes, museums, and other locations where suitable food exists.
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