Anthrenus Explained

Anthrenus is a genus of beetles in the Dermestidae family, skin beetles. One of several genera of carpet beetles, Anthrenus was historically placed in a subfamily Anthreninae, though presently included in the Megatominae. The genus Neoanthrenus is closely related.

Anthrenus carpet beetles are small beetles a few (1.8-4mm) millimeters long with a rounded shape. Their antennae bear small clubs at the end, which are larger in the males than in females. Many have a delicate pattern, with a dark body covered in colorful scales of various brown, tan, red, whitish and grey hues. These scales rub off easily, and old individuals are often partially devoid of them, showing the shining black elytra. A considerable number of subspecies and varieties have been named, but it is questionable whether these are all valid or simply refer to such age-related differences. The massive number of species has been divided into several subgenera, but these are not too firmly established. The small subgenus Helocerus for example is sometimes entirely included in Florilinus. Also, new species are being described every now and then.

These beetles range essentially all over the world; they have even colonized some remote oceanic islands. Most species are harmless pollen-eaters, with the long-haired larvae feeding on a wide range of dead animal or plant matter. This makes them important decomposers, which clean up decaying organisms. Some, however, most notoriously, the museum beetle (A. museorum), are significant pests, infesting stored goods and especially biological specimens in museum collections. These species have caused considerable damage to biology by destroying valuable type specimens. Their larvae may cause considerable damage to wool, fur, feathers, and natural history collections.[1] Due to their larva feeding on fabrics they can be found laying eggs in individual's carpets or in beds hence the name carpet beetles.

Primarily this species breeds in the spring and the summer months living in temperate regions. They are found worldwide due to distribution and was estimated to arrive in the North America in the 1850s. In the wild adult carpet beetle's are commonly found on flowering plants especially those in the genus of meadowsweets this species is also known for occupying bird nest's such as sparrows and swallows, and bat roosts, tho now more commonly a household pest.[2]

Taxonomy

According to World Dermestidae catalogue (Jiří Háva, 2023), following taxonomic division is proposed for Anthrenus and related groups of Dermestidae, including Anthrenus and related genera:[3]

Species

Anthrenus contains the following species:[4]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Genus Anthrenus - Carpet Beetles. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20080306033959/http://bugguide.net:80/node/view/11210 . 2008-03-06 .
  2. Web site: Hauze . Deena . Anthrenus verbasci (varied carpet beetle) . 2024-08-02 . Animal Diversity Web . en.
  3. Web site: Háva . Jiří . 2023 . World Dermestidae. Genera and subgenera division of Dermestidae . 2 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240519054836/http://dermestidae.wz.cz/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Genera-and-subgenera-division-of-Dermestidae.pdf . 19 May 2024.
  4. Web site: Háva . Jiří . 2022 . Dermestidae world (Coleoptera) . 12 February 2023.

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