Small Black Carpet Beetle Larvae

The black carpet beetle attagenus unicolor is a 3 5 millimetre long 0 12 0 20 in beetle that can be a serious household pest the larvae grow to 7 mm 0 28 in in length are reddish brown in colour and covered with bristles.

Small black carpet beetle larvae. Black carpet beetle larvae can survive up to 640 days and adults can live for a couple of months. Adults do not cause damage indoors. Larvae are about 1 8 to 1 4 inch long tan to brownish in color slow moving and densely covered with hairs or bristles. Long bristlelike tails are visible on older larvae.

Adult carpet beetles are small and often appear speckled or mottled. Black carpet beetle larvae are longer than many other carpet beetle larvae and are brown and gold in color. As they mature these bugs gradually become dark and black. The larva of the black carpet beetle is the damaging stage of this pest.

In a few weeks the tiny eggs laid by adult beetles hatch into the fabric consuming larvae. A clump of golden hairs is located at the end of their bodies. The duration of the larval stage also depends on the type of carpet beetle species and temperature. These tiny black beetle bugs belong to the family dermestidae and their larvae can be a true household pest.

Common carpet beetle larvae take between two and three months to reach pupation varied carpet beetle larvae may need up to two years and black carpet beetle larvae develop in the larval stage for six months to just under a year. The cigar shaped larva is long and narrow with short stiff hairs on a dark brown to black body. The larval form feeds on natural fibres damaging carpets furniture and clothing.