Anthrenus flavipes | |
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larvae and adult | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Family: | Dermestidae |
Genus: | Anthrenus |
Species: | A. flavipes |
Binomial name | |
Anthrenus flavipes (LeConte, 1854) | |
Anthrenus flavipes is a species of beetle in the family Dermestidae known by the common name furniture carpet beetle. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring throughout the world, being most active in warmer climates. [1] It is a pest that damages household materials such as textiles.
This beetle is 2 to 3.5 millimeters long and round in shape. It is black with variable patterns of white and yellow mottling. The legs are covered in yellow scales. It looks similar to other carpet beetles, but its tiny body scales are rounded or oval, while those of other carpet beetles are longer and narrower. [1] Each antenna is tipped with a club. [2]
During its adult lifespan of 30 to 60 days, the female beetle lays up to 100 white eggs. The eggs are visible but less than one millimeter long. The larvae emerge in one to three weeks. The larva is oval [1] or "carrot-shaped" [3] and about 5 millimeters long at its final stage. It varies in color according to diet and it is coated in long, brown hairs. The larva of this species can be distinguished from that of its relative, the common carpet beetle (Anthrenus scrophulariae), by the presence of a bundle of hairs on the posterior end which is constantly vibrating. [1] This bundle, located just above the anus, is called the supra-anal organ. All instar stages of the larva have the organ, and there is a specific number of hairs in it at each instar. The vibration of the organ is an antipredator adaptation that helps to repel predators such as pseudoscorpions (Chelifer sp.) and the parasitoid wasp Laelius pedatus . [4]
After progressing through six to thirty [2] instars over 2 to 3 months, the larva pupates for 2 or 3 weeks. [1]
Sexual behavior includes a "characteristic headstand posture" assumed by the female beetle when she releases her sex pheromone, which has been identified as (Z)-3-decenoic acid. [5]
This beetle is more common in warm regions, but it can inhabit heated buildings in cooler areas. The adult beetle feeds on pollen and nectar, often from plants of the parsley family. [2] The larva is responsible for the damage that makes the species notorious. It can digest keratin, and its diet is made up largely of a variety of animal tissues and products constructed from them. It feeds on hair and fur, horns, silk, [1] wool, bristles, feathers, [3] skin, bone, [2] and tortoise shell. [6] In nature, carpet beetles live and feed in the nests of birds, rodents, insects, and spiders. [3] This species also readily attacks plant-based and synthetic materials if they have animal fibers integrated into them [3] or are stained with blood, [2] feces, or animal-derived oils. [1] It does significant damage to upholstered furniture, carpets, and fabrics of cotton, linen, rayon, and jute. [1]
It is also a pest of museums and collections when it attacks biological specimens such as dried insects [1] and taxidermy. [2] In libraries and archives it consumes materials derived from leather and skins, such as book bindings and parchment. [2]
The larva has also been noted to feed on mold, dry cheese, and casein, and it can damage wood and cardboard. [6]
Infestations in the home can be identified by the presence of larvae, their molted cuticula, and their damage, which can be obvious. The tiny adult beetles are present in warmer months. Furniture and other susceptible objects should be vacuumed to remove hairs and loose fibers. Some objects require steam cleaning or dry cleaning. [1] Materials should be kept clean of animal oils. [3] Furs can be protected in cold storage, [1] and museum specimens may be frozen. [6] An insecticide is sometimes used, mainly around carpets and rugs, as a dust such as diatomaceous earth or silica aerogel, a spray, or an emulsion. Fumigation is used in severe cases. It has been noted that mothballs are ineffective. [1]
Helicoverpa zea, commonly known as the corn earworm, is a species in the family Noctuidae. The larva of the moth Helicoverpa zea is a major agricultural pest. Since it is polyphagous during the larval stage, the species has been given many different common names, including the cotton bollworm and the tomato fruitworm. It also consumes a wide variety of other crops.
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Mythimna unipuncta, the true armyworm moth, white-speck moth, common armyworm, or rice armyworm, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809. Mythimna unipuncta occurs in most of North America south of the Arctic, as well as parts of South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Although thought to be Neotropical in origin, it has been introduced elsewhere, and is often regarded as an agricultural pest. They are known as armyworms because the caterpillars move in lines as a massive group, like an army, from field to field, damaging crops.
Anthrenus is a genus of beetles in the family Dermestidae, the skin beetles. One of several genera of carpet beetles, Anthrenus was historically placed in a subfamily Anthreninae, though presently included in the Megatominae. The genus Neoanthrenus is closely related.
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Anthrenus (Anthrenus) scrophulariae, also known as the common carpet beetle or buffalo carpet beetle, is a species of beetle originally found in Europe, the Middle East and the Nearctic, which has now spread to most of the world. Adult beetles feed on pollen and nectar, but the larvae feed on animal fibres and can be damaging pests to carpets, fabrics and museum specimens.
Thylodrias is a monotypic genus of beetles in the family Dermestidae containing the single species Thylodrias contractus, known commonly as the odd beetle and tissue paper beetle. It is native to Asia and is a widespread introduced species in North America. It can be a pest at times.
Anthrenocerus australis is a species of beetle belonging to the Dermestidae family. It is commonly known as the Australian carpet beetle and is one of the most researched of the thirty-one species in the Anthrenocerus genus. This is generally attributed to its prevalence throughout Australia and New Zealand and the negative economic and agricultural impact it has as a pest. It is the larvae that causes damage to products, not the adult beetle. The total life cycle of this insect is around three years, most of which is spent as a larva. Once the beetle reaches maturity, it only lives for between two and six weeks.
Diabrotica balteata is a species of cucumber beetle in the family Chrysomelidae known commonly as the banded cucumber beetle. It occurs in the Americas, where its distribution extends from the United States to Colombia and Venezuela in South America. It is also present in Cuba. It is a pest of a variety of agricultural crops.
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Anthrenus sarnicus, the Guernsey carpet beetle, is a type of carpet beetle. It can be generally found in Great Britain. Its suborder is Polyphaga, the infraorder is Bostrichiformia, the superfamily is Bostrichoidea, and the family is Dermestidae. The carpet beetle is shaped like an oval and about the size of a pin.