The Common Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus scrophulariae) is a very small insect in the Dermestidae family of carpet beetles. It is also known as the Buffalo Carpet Beetle.
The Common Carpet Beetle has a rounded body and six legs. Its wing cases (elytra) are covered in fine scales with an irregular pattern of brown and yellowish-reddish colours. Its head is black. It has short, clubbed 11-segmented antennae.
It measures 3-4 millimetres (less than a quarter of an inch) in length.
The Common Carpet Beetle is common across Europe and the Middle East, in houses or close to houses and buildings.
The larva feeds on keratin and fibres, such as dead insects, animal hair and feathers. The adult beetle feeds on the pollen and nectar of flowering plants. Its predators include the wasp.
Its life cycle is egg, larva (grub), pupa, and adult. The female lays eggs in carpet, textiles, fabric, or in dark, dry places. They hatch into larvae after 14-21 days. The larval form is short and spiky and is often known as woolly bears, like caterpillars. The larva eats for about 60 days, then it pupates. After about 30 days in the pupal stage, an adult beetle emerges.
The adult beetle is seen from April to August.
Its life expectancy is about 14 days.
Location of photographs: Paris, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM