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Common Fabric Beetle Species

Knowing about the lifecycle and habits of different fabric beetle species can help to identify the most effective control methods.

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Leather Beetle/Hide Beetle

(Dermestes maculatus)

Leather Beetle

Appearance

  • Adult is 6–10 mm in length.
  • Black and dull in colour with white underside.
  • Larva is 3–9 mm in length with orange stripe running down its back.

Lifecycle

  • Female lays up to 800 eggs. 
  • Lifecycle is 2–3 months.

Habits

  • Pupates in solid material such as wood. 
  • Feeds on various animal products and dried fish. 
  • Commonly found infesting silk production areas and museums

Fur Beetle

(Attagenus pellio)

Fur Beetle

Appearance

  • Adult is 4–6 mm in length.
  • Reddish brown to black in colour with distinctive white spots; one on each wing cases.
  • Larva is 6 mm in length with long orange ‘tail’ of hairs.

Lifecycle

  • Normally one generation per year
  • Development can take up to three years.

Habits

  • Mating takes place outdoors after which they fly indoors to lay eggs.
  • Common inhabitant of bird nests.
  • Larva feeds on dead insects and animal materials such as wools, feather and furs.
  • Adult feeds on pollen and nectar.

Varied Carpet Beetle

(Anthrenus verbasci)

Varied Carpet Beetle

Appearance

  • Size: adult head and body 80 – 100mm in length; Tail 70 – 90mm.
  • Weight: Male can weigh 25g, and the female 20g.
  • Sandy / orange brown fur on the head and back.
  • Yellowish fur on the flanks and white on the belly.
  • There is usually a small streak of yellow on the chest.

Lifecycle

  • Their lifespan averages two to three months, but they can survive as much as 20 months in the wild, or two or more years in captivity.
  • Breeding seasons are March/April to October/November and gestation lasts approximately 25 days. They grow their first fur after six days; their eyes open after 16; and they are weaned at around 18 days old.
  • Survival of the young and adults is poor during the first half of the breeding season as adult males can be aggressive towards one another and to the young, who are then driven from the nest.

Habits

  • They eat a high proportion of the seed crop of trees such as oak, beech, ash, lime, hawthorn and sycamore. In [country], numbers can reach plague proportions in the grain belt areas.
  • Small snails and insects are particularly important sources of food in late spring and early summer when seeds are less available.
  • They also eat apples and will attack newly planted legume seeds.

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