Carpet Beetle Stages

Carpet beetles as their name implies sometimes infest carpets.

Carpet beetle stages.

When a carpet beetle reaches the end of its carpet beetle larval stage it pupates in its final skin. The larval form feeds on natural fibres damaging carpets furniture and clothing. Such materials contain keratin a fibrous animal protein which the larvae are able to digest. Similar to clothes moths the pests also feed on many other items composed of wool fur felt silk feathers skins and leather.

The life cycle of a carpet beetle ranges from two months to several years in length. The varied carpet beetle anthrenus verbasci is a 3 mm long beetle belonging to the family dermestidae they are a common species often considered a pest of domestic houses and particularly natural history museums where the larvae may damage natural fibers and can damage carpets furniture clothing and insect collections. All species of carpet beetles undergo complete metamorphosis passing through the egg larval and pupal stages before developing into adults most carpet beetles develop up to four generations yearly while varied and black carpet beetles develop only one. This development typically occurs in the spring and it can last for six to 24 days before the adult emerges.

They have a round spherical body. The carpet beetle is referred to as the anthrenus verbasci that grows from 1 7 mm to a maximum of 3 5 mm. The most prevalent and popular one is however the carpet beetle. The black carpet beetle attagenus unicolor is a 3 5 millimetre long 0 12 0 20 in beetle that can be a serious household pest the larvae grow to 7 mm 0 28 in in length are reddish brown in colour and covered with bristles.