54 THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



enters wardrobes and destroys clothing. The adult is a 

 pretty little beetle which may be found in infested houses, 

 in the spring, on the ceilings and windows. It is about one 

 seventh of an inch in length and clothed with black, white, 

 and brick-red scales (Plate I, Fig. I). There is a whitish 

 spot on each side of the prothorax, and three irregular, 

 whitish spots on the outer margin of each wing-cover ; along 

 the suture where the two wing-covers meet there is a band 

 of brick-red scales, which is widened in several places. It is 

 worth while to learn to know this beetle ; for a Lady-bug 

 (Plate I, Fig. 3), which often winters in our houses, is fre- 

 quently mistaken for it. The Carpet Beetle in its adult 

 state feeds on the pollen of flowers. Sometimes it abounds 

 on the blossoms of currant, cherry, and other fruits. The 

 best way to avoid the ravages of this pest is to use rugs in- 

 stead of carpets, and to trap the larvae by placing woollen 

 cloths on the floors of closets. By shaking such cloths 

 over a paper once a week the larvae can be captured. 



The change from carpets to rugs is a very desirable one*, 

 for carpets that are tacked to the floor and taken up only 

 once or twice a year are unwholesome. The change need 

 not be a very expensive one. As carpets wear out they 

 may be replaced with rugs ; and good carpets can be made 

 over into rugs. If the floors are not polished as is usually 

 the case where it was planned to cover them with carpets, 

 they can be made presentable by filling the cracks with 

 putty and painting the boards where they are to be exposed. 



The museum pests, Anthrenus varins (An-thre'nus va'- 

 ri-us) and AntJirenus museorum (A. mu se-o'rum). There 

 are two minute species of this family that are a constant 

 source of annoyance to those having collections of insects. 



The adult beetles measure less than one eighth of an inch 

 in length, and are very convex. They deposit their eggs on 

 specimens in our collections ; and the larvae feed upon the 

 specimens, often destroying them. In order to preserve a 

 collection of insects it is necessary that they should be kept 



