Varied carpet beetle

Found indoors in homes, warehouses, and museums; outdoors in nests of birds, bees, or wasps and on flowers.

Larvae feed on natural fibers like wool, silk, feathers, and dead insects. Adults feed on pollen and nectar.

Larvae prefer dark, undisturbed areas to feed. They undergo complete metamorphosis from egg to adult, often taking a year to complete.

Hazardous to household fabrics, carpets, and museum specimens. Some people may experience allergic reactions (dermatitis) to larval hairs.