Carpet beetle larva

Indoors on walls, windowsills, carpets, upholstery, and stored natural-fiber materials; adults may occur around flowers and windows.

Larvae consume keratin-rich materials such as wool, fur, feathers, hair, dead insects, and other natural fibers. Adults mainly feed on pollen and nectar.

Larvae are slow-moving, brownish and often hairy, sometimes leaving shed skins; they hide in dark, undisturbed areas. Adults are small, oval beetles that may fly toward light.

Larvae can damage clothing, carpets, taxidermy, and stored collections; their hairs may irritate skin or airways in sensitive people. They help decompose animal remains and organic debris.