1. Carlos Museum Bug Scavenger Hunt: Worksheet
Help the conservators investigate evidence of damage caused by past insect activity on
Museum objects. Find the following objects in the galleries and read the scenario for clues
about the case. Use the informationin the bug booklet to choose the most likely culprit in each
scenario.After you complete your worksheet, bring your answers to the front reception desk for
a prize.
Note:The following scenarios are pretend examples of pest damage that could occur in a
museum, but there are no ongoing insect problems at the Carlos. Help us keep our objects safe
by keeping food, drink, and candy outof the galleries.
Scenarios:
1.
S
Conservators first noticed signs of pest damage in the
Classical galleries. White, threadlike debris was found
in a dark corner inside the Roman Sarcophagus
(1999.11.7). Tiny black stain marks were observed on
nearby surfaces.
A. Webbing Clothes Moth
B. Varied Carpet Beetle
C. Powder Post Beetle
D. Cellar Spider
E. Silverfish
See if you can find other objects with dark, hidden spaces in the Egyptian, Asian, and African
galleries.
2.
During a particularly humid summer, the air conditioning
in the museum went out briefly. Shortly afterward,
conservators spotted damage in the Mirroring the Saints
exhibit. The second print on the right side of the room
had uneven edges underneath its mat board. Several
small holes were observed in the top right corner, and in
some spots, the paper appeared to be worn thin.
A. Webbing Clothes Moth
B. Varied Carpet Beetle
C. Powder Post Beetle
D. Cellar Spider
E. Silverfish
See if you can find objects made from similar materials in the Egyptian gallery.

2. While the weather was still humid, another area of
damage was discovered on the Coffin of Baket
(2005.77.1a,b) in the Egyptian gallery. Pin-sized holes
were observed on the surface of the wood, and small
piles of wood dust were noticed underneath the object.
3.
A. Webbing Clothes Moth
B. Varied Carpet Beetle
C. Powder Post Beetle
D. Cellar Spider
E. Silverfish
nside the case.
See if you can find other objects made of wood in the African gallery.
Conservators found traces of bug activity on the
Doublecloth Textile with Men and Llamas
(2002.001.028) in the Art of the Americas gallery. The
fabric had spots where the threads appeared thin
and bare, but no holes went all the way through. In
the shadows near the object’s stand, conservators
noticed small, fuzzy looking bits of debris.
4.
A. Webbing Clothes Moth
B. Varied Carpet Beetle
C. Powder Post Beetle
D. Cellar Spider
E. Silverfish
See if you can find objects made from similar materials in the African gallery.
Conservators found more signs of bug pests on the
EgungunMask Ensemble (1994.004.501). The velvet on
the front appeared to have small tears and rips. The
damage was located in an area that had been folded and
received little light. Blue debris was found in the bottom
of the box in which the object was kept.
5.
A. Webbing Clothes Moth
B. Varied Carpet Beetle
C. Powder Post Beetle
D. Cellar Spider
E. Silverfish
See if you can find objects made from similar materials in the Art of the Americas gallery.
Answers: