| Anthrenus museorum | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male beetle | |
| |
| Female beetle (underside) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Dermestidae |
| Genus: | Anthrenus |
| Subgenus: | Florilinus |
| Species: | A. museorum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Anthrenus museorum (Linnaeus, 1761)
| |
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.[1] It is considered a pest, as it damages, among others, the skin of taxidermied animals, such as polar bears and big cats in museums.[2][3]
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.[1]
- ^ a b "Anthrène des musées". Archived from the original on 2009-04-29.
- ^ Montagu Browne (31 July 2015). Practical Taxidermy - A Manual of Instruction to the Amateur in Collecting, Preserving, and Setting up Natural History Specimens of All Kinds. To Which is Added a Chapter Upon the Pictorial Arrangement of Museums. Read Books Limited. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-4733-7689-2.
- ^ Strang, T. J. K. "Session 7: Museum Pests." Available from: http://spiru.cgahr.ksu.edu/proj/iwcspp/pdf2/11/108.pdf