Varied carpet beetle (adult)

Homes, museums, closets, and nests, especially where dry animal-based materials accumulate. Adults often occur on flowers outdoors.

Larvae feed on wool, fur, feathers, silk, shed skin, dead insects, and other keratin-rich materials. Adults mainly consume pollen and nectar.

Adults are small, oval, and mottled brown, black, and pale scales; larvae are hairy and cause most damage. They may remain hidden for months, and infestations develop slowly through several larval molts.

Larvae can damage clothing, carpets, taxidermy, and stored specimens, and their hairs may irritate skin or airways. They recycle dead organic material, while adults pollinate flowers.