Common Carpet Beetle

Common Carpet Beetle

Anthrenus scrophulariae

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Prague

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

13 Verified sightings at Prague
April Best month

About the Common Carpet Beetle

Anthrenus (Anthrenus) scrophulariae, also known as the common carpet beetle or buffalo carpet beetle, is a species of beetle originally found in Europe, the Middle East and the Nearctic, which has now spread to most of the world. Adult beetles feed on pollen and nectar, but the larvae feed on animal fibres and can be damaging pests to carpets, fabrics and museum specimens.

The adult common carpet beetle varies from about 2.5 to 3.8 mm (0.10 to 0.15 in) in length. The antennae have eleven segments, three of which form a club, and the eyes are notched at the front. The head is black but is largely concealed under the prothorax, which is also black, liberally speckled with white scales apart from a band in the centre. The elytra (wing cases) are black with orange or reddish scales near the midline and variable but symmetric patches of white scales elsewhere. As the beetle gets older, the scales tend to get rubbed off so the beetle changes in appearance. The small white eggs are laid in batches of 30 to 60 and have projections which help them to adhere to carpet fibres. The larvae are brown and moult five times before pupating; the final instar larva is hairy and larger... 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 Bucharest 🇷🇴 Romania
~10%
2 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
3 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
4 Budapest 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
5 Minsk 🇧🇾 Belarus
~10%
6 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
<5%
8 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Saint Petersburg 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
10 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Carpet Beetle in Prague?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Carpet Beetle sighting in Prague on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 377th most-seen of the 724 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Carpet Beetle in Prague?

April and May

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Carpet Beetle in Prague on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months.

Is Prague the best place to see a Common Carpet Beetle?

7th of 13

Of the 13 cities where we can rate Common Carpet Beetle sightings, Prague ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Bucharest (Romania, about 10%), Kyiv (Ukraine, about 10%) and Vienna (Austria, about 10%).

Where does the Common Carpet Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Carpet Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Prague (13 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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