Hello Oberli,
It looks like it could be a black carpet beetle larvae, though
it’s quite pale in colour from what I’d expect; however, this could be your
answer as you say you’ve found previous evidence of carpet beetles. Typically
black carpet beetles eat animal products so they’re probably not interested in
your artificial petals if they are synthetic but if they’re made with animal
products or some of the packaging is they may be after that.
A pest expert can probably weigh in but I thought I’d throw in
my two cents nickels.
William Shepherd
Collections Officer
Swift Current Museum
44 Robert Street West
Swift Current, Saskatchewan
S9H 4M9
Phone: 306-778-4815
Fax: 306-778-4818
From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On
Behalf Of Oberli Fabienne
Sent: Friday, August 12, 2016 8:14 AM
To: pestlist@museumpests.net
Subject: [pestlist] What kind of you larvae is this?
Good evening,
The Museum of Art and History Fribourg (CH) is moving its collection. For the
first time I found now a living larvae and I can’t identify it. I would be
grateful to hear your opinions. The picture is not good, but it’s the best I
could take with my magnifier and cell phone.
The larvae was found in one of many similar old cardboard boxes, containing
artificial petals of textile and some sort of colouring and coating. I control
hundreds of boxes like these and it surprises me that I find empty cocoons of
Carpet and Cabinet Beetle in it. Do they feed from the cardboard and the old
newspapers in it? Or could it be the colouring/coating?
I’m looking forward to read your answers!
Best wishes,
Fabienne Oberli
Assistant Project Leader / Restaurator
Musée d’art et d’histoire
Rue de Morat 12
CH-1800 Fribourg
