Comments for
Brownish Dime length worm looking bug (Dermestid beetle larva )

Click here to add your own comments

dermestidae
by: Anonymous

Thanks, I found these when I was cleaning out my closet. They were on all the clothes that were on the floor. Creepy. They didn't appear to be alive. It looked like just exoskeletons. I haven't found any live ones yet (fingers crossed) but I was readin in Wikipedia that the larva(e?) do most of the damage, as the adults feed on flowers and shrubs. I still wonder, though, why I haven't seen any adults. Are they sneaking out after dark. The lesson I've learned is to keep everything off the floor. They don't seem to mess with the hanging clothes, as far as I can tell. I hope I'm right about that.
dermestid beetle larva
by: Moni

Anonymous
The reason you may not see adults could be that they are between cycles meaning there are eggs but no larvae to be seen...or they may be feeding some where you do not see them...or you may have vacuumed them all for now. The beetles seem to find a way indoors...thru screens, holes in window frames, coming in at night when lights are on porch and inside entries.
My guess is if you had them once they will show up again.
If you get a picture of the larva or adult beetles send it in...knowing for sure which one you have will help know what life cycle we are talking about...there are many species of dermestid beetles.
Does that help a little? Let me know.
Thanks but...
by: Anonymous

Thanks Moni.... I understand the cleaning issue and we clean very thoroughly a lot. What I wanted to know was why I can't see any live ones? If these are the skeletons of the larvae where are the adults?
DERMESTID BEETLE LARVA
by: Moni

Anonymous
If you read the first comment I made at the bottom of the comments on this page you will see they eat any protein like material. All our homes have dander, hair, pet hairs, etc besides food crumbs that get in our carpets and floors. If you do not vacuum ALL areas of the carpets on a very regular basis there is food for these critters. And even then we also leave dander, hair and food crumbs on our couches :-) - that is all part of living.
You found the shed skins there because this insects life cycle is egg, larva(many stages with molting of skins each stage), pupa then adult beetle. The skins will be there until you vacuum or another insect eats the skin.
Best control is to vacuum esp under the couch and other covered places as well as crevices and baseboards. If you have a pet it is even more important. Unfortunately you will just have to do a spring cleaning more often if you want them gone.
Help!
by: Anonymous

I moved my couch today and found loads of these skeletons under it. They are all dried up and I just hoovered them up but what I want to know is why I can't see any live ones? Where are they? It was under a pile of pots, pans and material bags I first found them and there were a couple of live ones - that was a year ago. Now all these dead ones under my couch. Any clues??
Dermestid beetle larva
by: Moni

Jackie
From the description of your bugs they are not the dermestid beetle larva shown in the photo. Dermestid larva and adult beetles feed on materials like leather, dander, wools...basically any natural material. so it does not make sense that this is your critter.
Please send a photo of your critter so we can identify it.
It almost sounds like your critter is a slug. Try putting out a pie pan with beer in it and see if that is what you have. Slugs love beer.
Let us know.


HELP!
by: Jackie

I have these bugs outside the house. They only come out at night and when it rains they will climb on the house, its very disturbing.I first noticed them in the back yard around my pond. Then one morning after it rained I found them all over the exterior of my house and the neighbors house as well (thank God).I'm so worried they are going to start getting in the house, I'm not a bug fancier so I'll tell you, I'll die! What can I do and what do they do.I want to get rid of them quickly and permanetly, PLEASE HELP!!
Dermestid beetle larva
by: Moni

Annamae
Your photo is of a dermestid beetle larva.
Your larva is probably a black carpet beetle based on the size, but there are many species. The exoskeletons you see are shed skins of the larvae as they grow. Sounds like you have several.
Dermestids are beetles with the larva and adults feeding on many materials like leather, dander, wools...basically any natural material. If you find the source....throw it away and you will have gotten rid of most of them. If you find anything of value with them in it you can put the article in the freezer for a few days and that will kill them. Vacuum and clean the infested area thoroughly.

Here is a great information site from TX A&M that will tell you more about this family of beetles.

http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/bimg154.html

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Insect Identification

Return to Brownish Dime length worm looking bug (Dermestid beetle larva )




All of Doug's Ebooks Can Be Found Here





Subscribe


Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner



Subscribe in a reader




Subscribe in a reader

E-Mail Updates


Enter Email Address Here:

Delivered by FeedBurner



Videos

Watch Videos


Loading...

.