Photo shows adult and larva on wool material.
This insect is still an important pest of stored products of animal origin as well as many stored grains. The small white eggs of the black carpet beetle are very fragile; thus dusting or brushing destroys many of them. The eggs hatch in 5-16 days.
The dark brown larvae are 1/4 inch or longer, molt (shed skin) up to five times, and may remain in the larval stage for over a year. Pupation to adults normally occurs in the spring. Adults may live for over a month; the female deposits from 40-100 eggs.
