Anthrenus scrophulariae is often mistaken for a ladybird when it feasts on pollen and nectar in the summer. The common carpet beetle is reddish brown with black and white spots and is only 4 mm long. The females fly into people's homes or into storerooms, where they lay around 20 eggs on various materials. The larvae hatch after only a few days. They have hair bristles on their bodies that contain poison.

Since they are not fond of the light, they often settle away from their feeding sites in cracks and crevices. It takes just under a year for the larvae to develop into beetles. The larvae of the carpet beetle like to feed on dry animal products such as woollen textiles and furs. They also eat away at insect collections and stuffed animals, and can cause major damage to valuable collections