# What bug is this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bug-is-this/543515 "2010-06-17T04:39:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bug-is-this/543515/1 "2010-06-17T04:39:59Z")
This annoying little guys keep popping up in my house lately. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them before. They’re about a quarter inch long: [http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3313861/IMG\_20100616\_225834.jpg](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3313861/IMG_20100616_225834.jpg) [http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3313861/IMG\_20100616\_225825.jpg](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3313861/IMG_20100616_225825.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bug-is-this/543515/2 "2010-06-17T05:49:22Z")
Carpet beetle? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bug-is-this/543515/3 "2010-06-17T07:40:23Z")
[Dermestes lardarius](http://images.google.com/images?q=Dermestes%20lardarius&hl=en&sourceid=mozilla-search&num=20&start=0&start=0), AKA the [larder beetle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermestidae#Larder_beetles). CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bug-is-this/543515/4 "2010-06-17T14:55:20Z")
o/` What bug is this, that lay to waste my pantry full of paaasta? Which Raid can greets with hissing sweet the better my larder to foster... o/` ETA: I wish all you “ID this BUG!” people would post when I’m actually at home and within reach of my insects of North America field guide… ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bug-is-this/543515/5 "2010-06-17T15:29:45Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > … ETA: I wish all you “ID this BUG!” people would post when I’m actually at home and within reach of my insects of North America field guide… Nah, a field guide is overkill. There’s at least one thread every quarter, asking about some bug, to which the answer is “a specie of the Dermestidae family”. **beowulff** ’s answer should be the default first post in all “ID this BUG!” threads. 😃 CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bug-is-this/543515/6 "2010-06-17T15:39:13Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > There’s at least one thread every quarter, asking about some bug, to which the answer is “a specie of the Dermestidae family”. It seems that Dopers have an inordinate fondness for threads about beetles. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bug-is-this/543515/7 "2010-06-17T15:42:37Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > It seems that Dopers have an inordinate fondness for threads about beetles. Dopers have an inordinate fondness for threads about beetles that have an inordinate fondness for threads… (the carpet beetle Dermestids, anyway) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bug-is-this/543515/8 "2010-06-17T16:10:35Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Nah, a field guide is overkill. There’s at least one thread every quarter, asking about some bug, to which the answer is “a specie of the Dermestidae family”. > > **beowulff** ’s answer should be the default first post in all “ID this BUG!” threads. 😃 > > CMC fnord! I have a small Dermestid story: When I moved into my first house, I noticed little flying beetles everywhere. My new next-door neighbor turned out to be a Coleopterist (degree in beetles), so I asked him, and he said “Dermestidae,” and then went on to describe all the fascinating uses for them (removing flesh from skulls, forensics, etc.). So, I went on a beetle hunt. I finally found an ancient bag of rabbit food that the previous owner had left in the corner of a closet. There were so many beetles and larvae in it that it looked alive. I nuked it from orbit, but that house was never completely free of those little basterds.