Museum Beetle

Museum Beetle

Anthrenus museorum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Moscow

In 3 days ~10%

8 Verified sightings at Moscow
June Best month

About the Museum Beetle

Anthrenus museorum, commonly known as the museum beetle, is a species of beetle found in the Palearctic (including Europe), the Near East and the Nearctic. In its larval form it damages all forms of dry skin and hair. The larva will also eat dry cheese, flour or cocoa occasionally. It is considered a pest, as it damages, among others, the skin of taxidermied animals, such as polar bears and big cats in museums.

The larva is yellowish, hairy, and measures 4.5 millimetres (0.18 in). The dorsal surface of the prothorax is brownish. At its rear end, it has three pairs of long antenna. The adult measures 2 to 4 mm. It has a round shape and its dark elytra are spotted with bright colors. It lives for one or two weeks, outdoors, on plants. It prefers the flowers of Asteraceae, Apiaceae and Scrophulariaceae. To lay eggs, the female seeks nooks, carpets, flooring or wool to hide and to assure a food supply for the larvae. She lays forty eggs at a time once a year.

Generally cosmopolitan (appears in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Australia). In Europe, it is known from Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, mainland... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~10%
2 Stockholm 🇸🇪 Sweden
<5%
3 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
4 Saint Petersburg 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
5 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Museum Beetle in Moscow?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Museum Beetle sighting in Moscow on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 774th most-seen of the 1111 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Museum Beetle in Moscow?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Museum Beetle in Moscow on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Is Moscow the best place to see a Museum Beetle?

5th of 5

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Museum Beetle sightings, Moscow ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Helsinki (Finland, about 10%), Stockholm (Sweden, under 5%) and Edmonton (Canada, under 5%).

Where does the Museum Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Museum Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Moscow (8 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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