Carpet Beetle and its management by Muhammad Faizan Baloch (Gomal University DIKhan) Roll no 582

1. {
BSc(Hons) Agriculture 5th Term, Entomology
“Insects Pests of Household Man & Animals”

2. CARPET BEETLE
S.Name a) Attagenus piceus
b) Anthrenus scrophlulariae
Family : Dermestidae
Order : Coleoptera
Status : Potential Pest
Distribution : Fairly distributed in houses
and carpets are used

3. Order Cleoptera:
The Coleoptera is an order of insects and is
commonly called beetles. The word
"coleoptera" is from the Greek κολεός, koleos,
meaning "sheath"; and πτερόν, pteron,
meaning "wing", thus "sheathed wing",
because most beetles have two pairs of
wings, the front pair, the "elytra", being
hardened and thickened into a sheath-like, or
shell-like, protection for the rear pair, and for
the rear part of the beetle's body.

4. DESCRIPTION OF STAGES: Carpet Beetles show
complete metamorphosis and their life cycle is
completed in 4 stages (Egg, Larva, Pupa , Adult)
Egg: Egg are whitish, elongated 2-3mm long.
Female lay eggs on suitable material such as larval
food, crevices, accumulated dust, fibers, furs, clothing
and in furniture.

5. Larva: Larva are carrot shaped, elongated
golden to chocolate brown in color with a
tuft of long hairs on the body.
They avoid light and are 4-5mm long.

6. Pupa: Pupation occurs in the last larval
skin. Largely depending on the relative
temperature and moisture, pupation period
is 3-20 days.

7. Adult: Adult Carpet Beetle is dull black to
brown in color and is densely covered in different
color scales giving its body a variegated pattern.
The outline of its body is elliptical.
They are 1.5mm to 4mm in length with brown legs
and club shaped brown antennae.

8. Life History: Female lay 50-100 or
more eggs on fabrics, larval food and on
woolen clothing. Eggs hatch in 10-17 days.
Larvae emerge from the eggs and begins to
feed. They are squat brown and hairy grubs.
They tend to avoid the light and feed on
keratin containing materials such as wool, fur,
hairs, feathers and sometimes on skin. Larval
period varies differently, depending on the
temperature and moisture. It can take up 9
months to 3 years. Larva moults 5-10 times or
sometimes more.

9. Pupation finally occurs in the last larval skin.
Pupation period may take 3-20 day days depending
on the environmental conditions.
After pupation period, adult beetle come out of
pupa. Adult Carpet Beetles tend to fly away from
the houses through windows and doors in order to
feed on pollens and nectar of flowers

10. {
In late summer and autumn female carpet beetles
tend to re-enter the houses and lay their eggs..
DAMAGE: The larvae of the carpet beetle attack
material containing keratin such as wool, fur, hair,
feathers and sometimes skin.

11. The black carpet beetle is the most
devastating species which cause damage by
making many irregular holes in woolens.

12. Several groups of dermatologists reported cases involving
dermatitis caused by contact with carpet beetles. These
patients experienced multiple symptoms that included
itching, pruritic, and papulovesicular eruptions. Biopsies
and clinical tests confirmed that the hairs of carpet beetle
larvae caused these reactions.

13. Control:1) Vacuum cleaning of carpets is
useful in controlling these pests.

14. 2) Drying out the carpets and fabrics in the bright sunlight during
summer is also helpful in controlling this pest.
3) Pyrethroids in 0.1% to 0.5% concentration are effective.
Even malathion application in very low concentrations is
helpful.