Varied Carpet Beetle (Larva)

Indoor environments like homes and museums, nests of birds and rodents

Natural fibers, hair, fur, feathers, dead insects, and dried animal products

Larvae are active crawlers that prefer dark, undisturbed areas; they undergo many molts and are the destructive stage of the life cycle

Structural risk as a common pest that damages textiles and property; larval hairs can cause allergic reactions ('carpet beetle dermatitis') in some humans