| Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci (Linnaeus, 1767)) |
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Scientific name: Anthrenus verbasci (Linnaeus, 1767) Common name: Varied Carpet Beetle French name: Anthrène du bouillon blanc, Anthrène des tapis. Order: Coleoptera Family: Dermestidae Wingspan : 2.5 to 4 mm. Biotope: Forests, grasslands, savannahs, cultivated areas but also urban areas. The larvae develop in birds' nests but also in food stocks, plants and materials of animal origin (wool, fur, leather). Geographic area: Native to the Palearctic region, the Varied Carpet Beetle has been introduced worldwide and is found mainly in temperate regions. Observation period : Almost all year round but mainly from August to September in the wild. |
The Varied Carpet Beetle has an oval, rounded body. The pronotum and elytra are covered with small yellowish-brown, white and black scales without a clear pattern. The white scales are concentrated at the posterior angles and in the centre of the base of the pronotum. In addition, they seem to draw 3 sinuous transverse bands on the elytra. The antennae are quite short. They have 11 segments and end in a 3-segmented club. Larvae can take from 6 months to 3 years to develop depending on food availability and temperature. Adults feed on nectar and pollen on flowers. The Varied Carpet Beetle is the most common species in the genus. Species identification is usually done by the patterns on the scales. |
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It is not easy to count the antennae articles but the colours of the scales and in particular the position of the white scales clearly indicate the Varied Carpet Beetle. |
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This top view clearly shows the 3 white spots at the back of the pronotum. |
André Bon October 2024