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| FACTS |
| Varied
Carpet Beetle |
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COMMON NAME:
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Varied
carpet beetle
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SCIENTIFIC
NAME:
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Anthrenus
verbasci (Linnaeus)
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CLASS/ORDER/FAMILY:
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Insecta/Coleoptera/Dermestidae
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METAMORPHOSIS:
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Complete
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INTRODUCTION: The varied
carpet beetle probably gets its common name because there is
great variation in the color pattern on its dorsal surface.
This species is known to cause dermatitis in humans. It is
worldwide in distribution and is found throughout the United
States.
RECOGNITION: Adults
about 1/16-1/8" (1.8-3.2 mm) long. Body black, with
pattern of yellow and white scales on pronotum and elytra
(wing covers), 2 transverse zigzag bands of white scales
bordered by yellow scales on elytra; scales elongate, 2-3
times as long as broad; lower/underside of body covered with
grayish yellow scales. Antennae short, with 3-segmented,
compact club. Posterior end of elytra evenly rounded.
Abdominal 5th sternite broadly and deeply emarginate (notched)
epically. In addition, body oval, head more or less concealed
from above, with a median ocellus, and tarsi 5-5-5. Larval
length up to 1/4" (4-5 mm). Stout, widest posteriorly.
Color dark brown to black. Covered with brown hairs; with
tufts of spear-headed hairs (hastisetae) arising from
membranous areas on the sides of abdominal segments 5-6-7
pointing towards the rear and converging towards the center,
heads of spear-headed hairs of hind tufts equal in length to
combined length of 7-8 preceding segments. Antennae with
segment 2 less than 2.5 times as long as broad. Abdominal
sternites entirely membranous.
SIMILAR GROUPS: (1)
Carpet beetles (Anthrenus schrophulariae) with brick red scales
along midline of elytra (wing covers). (2) Furniture carpet
beetles (Anthrenus flavipes) with pronotum and elytra patterned
with white, yellow, and brown scales, underside of body pure
white, posterior end of elytra with shallow notch at midline.
(3) Other dermestids (Dermestidae) with less compact antenna!
club of usually more than 3 segments, hairs on dorsal surface
somewhat flattened but not scalelike, and/or 5th abdominal
sternite not deeply notched epically. (4) Powderpost/deathwatch/anobiid
beetles (Anobiidae) with antenna longer, if clubbed, then club
asymmetrical (lopsided). (5) Other beetles with oval body form
lack a median ocellus and/or lack scalelike hairs.
DAMAGE AND SIGNS OF
INFESTATION: Fabrics typically have much surface damage
and holes here and there, but larvae can cause large irregular
holes in material. Furs and brushes have mostly the tips of
hairs damaged, leaving uneven areas. With museum insect
specimens, the accumulation of fine powder/frass beneath the
specimen is often the only indication of these beetle's
presence. Larval caste/molt skins are often present. Frass/droppings
are minute, irregular in form, often the color of the material
being damaged. The larvae may burrow through packaging
materials when seeking food.
BIOLOGY: Females do not
always lay their eggs on larval food material. The eggs hatch
in 17-18 days. The larval period ranges from 222-323 days but
may last up to 623 days under adverse conditions of
temperature, humidity, and food, and requires an average of
7-8 molts (range 5-16).  The larva pupates in the last larval
skin and pupation lasts 10-13 days. Developmental time (egg to
adult) usually requires 249-354 days at room temperature, but
may take as long as 2-3 years depending on temperature and
food. Adult males live 13-28 days whereas, females live 14-44
days.
One case of dermatitis occurred
in a man over a 5-year period due to hypersensitivity to an
infestation in his bedroom carpet. Inhalation of large
quantities of the larval spear-headed hairs may cause
pulmonary irritation; Anthrenus spp. are known to cause this
condition.
HABITS: Varied carpet
beetle larvae feed on a wide variety of animal and plant
products. Animal-origin materials include woolens, carpets,
furs, hides, feathers, horns, bones, hair, silk, fish meal,
insect pupae, and dead insects. Plant-origin materials include
rye meal, corn, red pepper, cacao, cereals, etc. Their favored
foods are insects and spiders which makes them a major pest of
museum collections and buildings with cluster fly, box elder
bug, etc. problems.
On fabrics, larvae tend to
surface graze but are quite capable of making small or large
irregular holes. On furs and bristles, they damage mostly the
tips leaving uneven areas. On dead insects, they typically
feed from within and the accumulation of fine powder/frass
beneath the specimen is usually the only indication of their
presence. The larvae may burrow through packaging materials to
get to the contained food.
Adults are found outside during
warm weather. They are often found on flowers, particularly in
the spring and especially on Spirea spp., where they often eat
the pollen. Females seek out the nests of bees, wasps, and
spiders as oviposition sites, as well as bird nests. Inside,
adults are often found at windows during the spring.
The primary breeding areas are
quite diverse and may include obscure or unusual places such
as wall/ceiling voids where yellow jackets, honey bees, etc.
Dived or where cluster flies, box elder bugs, etc. over
wintered, rodent bait left in attics, crawl spaces, or
basements; wasp and hornet nests in attics, under eaves,
around windows, etc.; dead insects and spiders in the attic or
in light fixtures; behind and under baseboards where lint and
hair accumulate; animal trophies or rugs; insulation which
contains animal hair; dead animals in the chimney flue; etc.
In such places, the larvae feed on the animal and/or plant
material present.
The larvae tend to wander about
and can be found far from the primary infestation. When
disturbed, the larva erect their hair tufts and spread the
bristles and hairs, forming a ball.
Adults hatching from indoor
pupae avoid or shun light until egg laying is mostly complete,
and then become attracted to light. Most outdoor adults show
an attraction to light.
CONTROL: The key to
controlling varied carpet beetles is to find the primary
source(s) of infestation and eliminate it/them. Besides the
obvious clothing, furs, drapes, carpeting, and stored
products, it may be necessary to check for the more unusual
places such as those listed above. Has there been both current
and past occurrences of flies in the winter, box elder bugs,
rodent problems, birds nesting on/in the building, etc. The
thorough inspection should be followed by good sanitation
practices, and pesticide application when required. Museum
specimens may be treated with heat and/or cold if applicable
(be careful of possible damage to specimens) or with
fumigants.
Courtesy of
NPMA
Go here for Traps
or Monitoring Devices
Go to Contact
Pesticides our Liquid products are labeled for these
beetles.
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The
adult is 2.8 - 5 mm in length. It is mostly dark brown to black
in color. The larvae is long and
carrot shaped with a tuft of hairs emerging from the rear end.
Food: The larvae of this pest will feed upon a great
variety of animal and plant products, such as carpets, felt,
woolen goods, skins, furs, stuffed animals, leather book
bindings, feathers, horns, hair, silk, cattle hair, and insect
meal. Also it will attack plant products such as seeds and
grains, corn and cayenne peppers. Specifically in museums, it
will attack insect and ethnographic collections.
Life Cycle:
The female Black Carpet Beetle will lay
42 - 114 eggs near a possible food source. The larval stage is
the destructive stage. The period from egg to adult will last
about 1 year, possibly more depending on environment.
Trap Use and
Placement: Pheromone lures are available for this pest to
attract the male of the species. They are good fliers, so any
hanging sticky trap or shelve trap with a fresh pheromone lure
will work.
Go here for Traps
or Monitoring Devices
Go to Contact
Pesticides our Liquid products are labeled for these
beetles.
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For most people, the boxelder bugs needs no introduction. This
insect is about one-half
inch long as an adult, black in color with three red lines
behind the head, a red line along each side and a diagonal line
on each wing. Box elder bugs become a nuisance in and around
homes from fall through early spring.
Box elder bugs
feed on a variety of plants, but their favorite food is box
elder
seed pods, which are found only on the female box elder tree.
These insects seldom develop in sufficient numbers to be a
nuisance unless a female box elder tree is in the neighborhood.
The boxelder bugs
overwinters as an adult in protected places such as houses and
other buildings, cracks or crevices in walls, doors, under
windows, and around foundations--particularly on south and west
exposures. In the spring, small red eggs are laid on leaves and
stones, and in cracks and crevices in the bark of female box
elder trees. The eggs later hatch into young nymphs that are
wingless and bright red in color wtih some black markings. These
young bugs usually are found on low vegetation near box elder
trees until seeds are formed on the tree that they then start to
feed on.
Box elder bugs are
primarily a nuisance pest, annoying residents by crawling on
exteriors and inside dwellings on warm fall and winter days.
They also could stain draperies and other light-colored surfaces
and produce an unpleasant odor when crushed. They do not bite
people, nor will they damage houseplants.
The most
permanent solution to the box elder bug problem would be complete
removal of female box elder trees from a neighborhood, although
this may not be practical or desirable. Since box elder bugs
usually overwinter near the trees they feed on, the removal of
one or two problem trees may be of benefit to the homeowner.
Infested trees may be sprayed with an insecticide listed for
this use while the bugs are still concentrated on the trees,
before they move into the house. When the bugs begin to
congregate on dwelling exteriors, these areas may be treated
with a residual insecticide See Contact Insecticides
listed for this type of control. (Make sure you read the
insecticide label carefully and always test a hidden area to
make sure the product doesn't stain).
Screening (weep
hole vents) or sealing cracks (Copper
Stuf-fit)
or other entrances into the home (in the fall BEFORE it gets
cold) is important because once box elder bugs have entered the
home, control becomes more difficult. A vacuum cleaner is useful
for controlling bugs that have entered the house. This is
temporary relief because the box elder bugs may continue to enter
and move about on warmer days throughout the fall, winter and
early spring.
Courtesy
of (Mary Jane Frogge, Extension Associate of Univ. Of Nebraska)
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| Lyctids/Powderpost
Beetles |
| COMMON
NAME: |
Lyctid
or powderpost beetle |
| SCIENTIFIC
NAME: |
Various |
| CLASS/ORDER/FAMILY: |
Insecta/Coleoptera/Lyctidae |
| METAMORPHOSIS: |
Complete |
INTRODUCTION.
Lyctids are commonly known as (true) powderpost
beetles because their larvae produce a very fine,
powderlike frass in their galleries (vs. bostrichids/false
powderpost beetles and anobiids, whose larvae produce
coarser frass which also contains fine wood fragments
or pellets respectively). They are worldwide in
distribution, with about 11 species occurring in the
United States.
RECOGNITION.
Depending on the species, adults about 1/32-1/4"
(1-7 mm) long. Body elongate, narrow,
flattened, almost parallel-sided;
head, pronotum, and elytra (wing covers) about equal
in width; pronotum somewhat wider at front,
head and often mandibles visible
when viewed from above. Color reddish brown to black. Antennae
with abrupt 2-segmented club. Elytra
(wing covers) often with rows of hairs
(setae). First abdominal segment ventrally much longer
than other segments.
Depending
on the species, mature larvae up to about 1/4" (6
mm) long. Color nearly white. Body C-shaped but with
enlarged thorax. Antennae short, 4-segmented. Spiracle
of 8th (last) abdominal segment 3 times
larger than other abdominal spiracles. Legs
3-segmented, ending with a long claw. However, 1st
instar larva straight-bodied, white, and bears a pair
of small spines at rear end.
SIMILAR
GROUPS. (1) Flat bark beetles (Cucujidae) with
antennae usually long and threadlike/beadlike,
sometimes short with 2-4-segmented club, elytra (wing
covers) usually lack hairs. (2) False powderpost
beetles (Bostrichidae) usually cylindrical in form,
pronotum with rasplike teeth at front, head usually
not visible from above. (3) Bark and ambrosia beetles
(Scolytidae) are cylindrical in form, antennae elbowed
and clubbed. (4) Pinhole borers and ambrosia beetles (Platypodidae)
cylindrical in form, antenna! club large, flat,
1-segmented. (5) Deathwatch beetles (Anobiidae) with
hoodlike prothorax, concealing head from above, last 3
antenna! segments lengthened and/or expanded.
DAMAGE
AND SIGNS OF INFESTATION. Exit holes are round,
and depending on the species, range from
1/32-1/16" (0.8-1.6 mm) in diameter. Another
indication of an infestation is the accumulation of
piles of very fine powderlike dust beneath the exit
holes or on the wood. This dust/frass contains no
pellets (like anobiid's) and falls easily from the
hole instead of being packed in (like anobiids and
bostrichids).
REPRESENTATIVE
SPECIES. From an economic viewpoint, the 2 most
important Iyctids in the U.S. can be briefly
characterized as follows:
- Southern
Iyctus beetle, Lyctus planicollis LeConte.
Adults black; antennal 10th segment
wider than long; prothorax usually with a median,
broad, shallow depression; elytra (wing covers)
with space between striae (longitudinal furrows)
composed of 2 regular series of elongate punctures
(pits) and separated by rows of fine, long hairs;
length about 1/4" (5 mm) but males much
smaller; distributed throughout the United States.
- Velvety
powderpost beetle, Trogoxylon parallelopipedum
(Melsheimer). Adults rusty red-brown to black,
densely covered with short yellowish hairs not
arranged in rows; antenna! 10th segment
not wider than long; lateral margins of prothoax
converge behind (towards wing covers); length
about 1/8" (2.5-4.3 mm); found throughout the
United States.
BIOLOGY.
Female Iyctids lay their eggs (15-50) in exposed wood
pores, cracks, or crevices. Eggs are never deposited
in/on waxed, polished, painted, or varnished surfaces.
The larvae tunnel only in the sapwood and usually
tunnel with the wood grain. As they bore, the larvae
loosely pack their tunnels with very fine powderlike
dust (like talcum powder or flour). After several
molts requiring 2-9 months, the mature larva bores to
near the surface and constructs a pupal chamber and
pupates. When the adult emerges, it bores straight to
the wood's surface and exits/emerges. Indoors, adults
usually emerge in late winter or early spring and with
little feeding, mate. Under very favorable conditions,
developmental time (egg to adult) usually requires
9-12 months, but may be as short as 3-4 months or as
long as 2.5-4 or more years. Although some Iyctids are
strong fliers, most tend to lay eggs in the wood from
which they emerged. Since Iyctid larvae cannot digest
cellulose, they feed only on the cell contents which
is primarily starch, but also sugar and protein.
HABITS.
Lyctids attack the sapwood and only that of hardwoods,
usually less than 10 years old. They attack both
lumber and manufactured products; they also attack
structural timbers but hardwoods are rarely used for
this purpose today because of their cost. The wood
moisture content required for beetle development is
8-32%, with greatest activity at 10-20%. Adults are
active at night, readily fly, and are attracted to
light.
Lyctids
are usually brought into structures in wood which
contains their eggs and/or larvae. This wood is
typically infested during drying time or storage.
Finish on wood prevents egg laying.
They
usually attack oak, hickory, and ash, but will attack
other native and tropical hardwoods. Lyctids often
attack bamboo.
CONTROL.
First, determine if the infestation is active. If it
is, then prescribe replacement, localized pesticide
application, or fumigation, whichever is the least
expensive to achieve control.
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| Several species of
Ladybird Beetles (often called 'Ladybugs') come into humans'
houses to "diapause" over the Winter. The Asian
Ladybird Beetle is one of the more common ones that does this
throughout much of the U.S. No, this is NOT specific to wooden
homes. They do tend to be attracted most strongly to
South-facing, light-colored surfaces, and come inside mainly in
mid- to late-Autumn. They become active again and try to get
back outside the next Spring (but often during warm spells in
Winter, too). You could catch them and release them outside;
just let them find their own way out; or vacuum them up and
either release them (the ones that may live through the
vacuuming) outside or seal them in a plastic bag and dispose of
that in your normal trash. No comment about the "Luck"
issue, of course this is not the most acceptable way to achieve
ladybug control. The very best thing to do is seal, caulk or
screen shut EVERY crack, crevice, hole, or other opening in the
exterior of your house in early Autumn, BEFORE these beetles
start coming inside that particular year. Nearly all aerosol
'bombs' have NO residual effects, and seldom even reach into the
cracks and voids where these pests tend to hide. In fact, if
you were to kill these in place in wall voids, their bodies MAY
attract carpet beetles and other similar "secondary"
pests. Outside perimeter treatments will have some value if
applied in the proper points of entry but exclusion is the
only answer to long term ladybug control. Once lady
bugs are inside, you will need our traps Go
here http://www.pestcontrol-products.com/ladybugs_lethal.htm |
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