Larder Beetle (larva)

Natural Habitat

Indoors, typically in areas with stored food products (especially meats, cheeses, dried pet food), taxidermy, insect collections, or natural fibers. Outdoors, they can be found in nests of birds/mammals or carrion.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae feed on a wide variety of animal products, including dried meats, cured fish, pet food, cheese, insect and animal carcasses, taxidermy, and sometimes even natural fibers like wool and silk.

Behavior Patterns

Larder beetle larvae are active and seek out food sources. They are typically reddish-brown to black, hairy, and have two prominent spines (urogomphi) on their posterior end. When mature, they often bore into hard materials like wood, cork, or even books to pupate, which can cause additional damage.

Risks & Benefits

Potential risks include damage to stored food products, museum specimens, natural fiber items, and sometimes structures (due to larvae boring for pupation sites). They do not bite or sting humans, but their hairs can sometimes cause skin irritation. There are no significant known benefits, though they play a minor role in decomposition in natural settings.

Identified on: 10/10/2025