Varied carpet beetle (adult)

Homes, museums, and other sheltered buildings, especially around carpets, fabrics, windows, and stored organic materials.

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

Adults often appear on walls or windows while seeking light; larvae are hairy and avoid light, developing slowly in undisturbed areas. Several generations may occur annually indoors.

Larvae can damage clothing, carpets, upholstery, and museum specimens, but they do not bite or transmit disease. Adults contribute to pollination outdoors and decomposition through the larval stage.