Carpet beetle larva (likely varied carpet beetle)

Homes, museums, closets, and other dry indoor spaces where animal-based fibers accumulate. Larvae hide in carpets, upholstery, clothing, and wall or floor debris.

Larvae eat keratin-rich materials such as wool, fur, feathers, silk, dead insects, and shed skin. Adults mainly feed on pollen and nectar and do not damage fabrics.

The photograph shows a hairy, bristly larva, possibly with a trailing tuft of hairs. Larvae avoid light, molt repeatedly, and may remain hidden for months before pupating; adults emerge and seek flowers or windows.

Larvae can damage natural-fiber clothing, carpets, taxidermy, and stored specimens, and their hairs may irritate skin or airways. They also recycle dried animal material and help decompose organic debris.