While I was working at my bench today, this cute little guy plopped down on my notebook.
Tiny beetle.
This beetle is very small, the metal rod that it is crawling on is a dissecting probe. It was nice to see an arthropod other than stink bugs, which seem immune to seasons or weather-sealing. Does anyone have any idea what this beetle is?
Back to work for me!
Dermestidae… Anthrenus verbasci? *this information is coming from a person who likes wasps, and should be taken with that in mind.
agreed that it’s Anthrenus verbasci
http://bugguide.net/node/view/377457/bgpage
If you have any arthropod collections sitting around, this guy could be a straggler from an infestation, or a scout looking to establish one.
http://alandove.com
We do have some scarabs and butterflies. I’ll have to be on the lookout for more.
Beware, these guys will raze a collection. Look for the tell-tale brown dust that piles up on the labels!
http://skepticalmoth.southernfriedscience.com/
That dermestid is commonly known as a carpet beetle. Their larvae eat dead animals and insects, even human skin flakes, hence they love carpets, insect collections and taxidermy collections. They move imperceptibly in their larval form, which is a tiny hairy grub from microscopic to 3mm in length. If you have one beetle, chances are there’s a nest somewhere close by, under carpets, mats or inside something animal based. The beetles can fly short distances.