Dear nyc this is most certainly a carpet beetle and a carpet beetle larva and it very closely resembles a varied carpet beetle anthrenus verbasci however the larva is too dark to be that species.
Varied carpet beetle larvae vs furniture carpet beetle larvae.
The oval or round shaped varied carpet beetle adult is only around 3 mm in body length and they can be recognized by the yellow black and white design on their backs.
The varied carpet beetle anthrenus verbasci is a 3 mm long beetle belonging to the family dermestidae 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.
It is highly unlikely that you would have the larvae of one species in your closet and the adult of another species so we continued to research.
Larvae are white at first but darken to dark red or chestnut brown as they mature.
Adult varied carpet beetles are about 1 16 to 1 8 long and oval in appearance.
What are furniture carpet beetles.
Elimination of carpet beetles from large objects such as furniture may require the services of a professional pest control operator.
Larvae of the furniture carpet beetle feed on the same types of items as varied carpet beetle larvae.
Verbasci was also the first insect to be shown to have an.
Other carpet beetle species found within homes in the massachusetts include common carpet beetles and less frequently furniture carpet beetles.
When a carpet beetle infestation is suspected closely examine preserved animals or hides for live larvae or cast skins as carpet beetles frequently infest these objects.