Species Anthrenus flavipes - furniture carpet beetle

A.vorax

2 - 3.5 mm

Dorsal surface with scales of two colours: white and yellowish brown. White scales on pronotum on each side condensed in a spot near anteriour angles and two (often confluent) patches in the posteriour half; white scales may be found on the posteriour margin also, but not forming a distinct prescutellar spot. On elytra with several white spots (usually partly merging): one on base near, but not touching, scutellum, the remaining arranged into three tranverse fasciae.

Important characters apart from colour: Eyes with a distinct notch in inner frontal margin (diagnostic vs. verbasci!), antennae 11-segmented with club of three segments.

almost cosmopolitan, but predominantly in subtropical climates.

Sometimes confused with the varied carpet beetle, A.verbasci, in which the colour pattern is a little different, and eyes not notched.

type specimen in the MCZ collection

Dermestidae.com (image on specialist´s page)

CSIRO.au (representative drawing)