Varied carpet beetle (adult)

Homes, museums, warehouses, and nests where dry organic material accumulates. Adults often occur near windows and flowers.

Adults feed mainly on pollen and nectar. Larvae eat keratin-rich materials such as wool, fur, feathers, dead insects, and lint.

Adults are small, rounded, and mottled; larvae are hairy and avoid light. Larvae can develop unnoticed indoors for months or longer, leaving shed skins and irregular damage.

Larvae can damage clothing, carpets, upholstery, and natural-history specimens; their hairs may irritate sensitive skin. They are decomposers outdoors and help recycle animal-derived organic matter.