Anthrenus verbasci
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The varied carpet beetle (Anthrenus verbasci) is a 3 mm-long beetle belonging to the family Dermestidae, positioned in subgenus Nathrenus. They are a common species, often considered a pest of domestic houses and, particularly, natural history museums, where the larvae may damage natural fibers and can damage carpets, furniture, clothing, and insect collections. A. verbasci was also the first insect to be shown to have an annual behavioral rhythm and remains a classic example of circannual cycles in animals.
Adult A. verbasci range in length from 1.7 to 3.5 mm (0.07 to 0.14 in). The body is rounded, almost spherical. The elytra and pronotum are covered in fine scales of different colours, creating an irregular pattern of white, brownish and yellowish patches on these features. The white scales are focussed along the lateral margins of the pronotum and on the elytra, where they form three bright, wavy transverse bands. In addition to these morphological features, their antennae are 11-segmented, with a club of 3 segments.
This species is present in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in the Near East, in the Nearctic realm... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Varied Carpet Beetle sighting in Monfragüe National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 70th most-seen of the 84 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Varied Carpet Beetle in Monfragüe National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to March, the lowest months. That is one of Monfragüe National Park's wettest months, with about 70 mm of rain against almost none in July.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Varied Carpet Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Varied Carpet Beetle sightings, Monfragüe National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
Same order: Coleoptera
The closest relatives of the Varied Carpet Beetle that you can see in Monfragüe National Park (order Coleoptera, Beetles) are Ateuchetus laticollis (about 40%), Heliotaurus ruficollis (about 30%) and Spanish Dung Beetle (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Varied Carpet Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Monfragüe National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
