Class: Insects
Size: 2 to 3mm
Weight: Variable
Age: 7 to 14 months
Appearance: Dark brown-black (beetle), light brown with strong hairs (larva)
Food: Nectar and pollen (beetle); keratin (larva)
Distribution: Worldwide
Original location: Unknown
Habitat: Buildings, open field
Threatened with extinction: No

• The museum beetle is distributed worldwide. In Europe, they live in buildings and also outdoors. Their larvae are found in dwellings between floorboard cracks and wooden floors, where they feed on the hairs that have accumulated. The beetle is also often found on windowsills or window panes.
• The species name “museorum” (Latin) means museum. It indicates that it can cause great damage in the insect collection of museums.
• The entire development cycle of the museum beetle is 7 to 14 months, so that only one generation is produced per year. Adult beetles feed exclusively on nectar and pollen. They are attracted to light, so they often fly into the house in spring. The female lays her eggs here, e.g. on the wool carpet. The larvae, which are shy of light and live very hidden, are true food experts because they can utilise the keratin found in hair, feathers and horn.
• Museum beetles are textile and hygiene pests, their larvae eat holes in textiles or woollen carpets.
• Museum beetles often occur with the CARPET BEETLE (Anthrenus scrophulariae).