# What kind of worm/bug/larva thingy did I find in my carpet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 5, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604 "2004-10-05T04:03:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/1 "2004-10-05T04:03:38Z")
A couple of nights ago I found a strange little worm/larva/bug-type thingy on the carpet in my cats’ room, right in front of their litterbox (which might be a coincidence). I’ve never seen anything like it before, so I’m wondering if anybody has any insight into what it might be. It: - is about a quarter of an inch long - is kind of a medium tan in color - looks like a tiny segmented worm - is not the kind of worm cats get that sometimes pokes out of their bums–I’ve seen those and it doesn’t look like that. - has a tiny crop of hairs sprouting from its rear end. - has no antennae - appears to have many very tiny legs - has an underbelly of a much lighter tan than its upper part. - appears to be very hardy, as it’s still alive after having been sealed in a contact lens case 2 days ago. I’d take a picture but my digital camera won’t focus in that tight. Any ideas? Should I be looking for more of these? So far I haven’t seen any others. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/2 "2004-10-05T04:09:29Z")
Is it a wool carpet? If so, it could be a wool-eating moth larva. If so, big trouble. If not, there’s a big variety of critters it could be; most of them harmless. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/3 "2004-10-05T04:19:06Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Is it a wool carpet? If so, it could be a wool-eating moth larva. If so, big trouble. If not, there’s a big variety of critters it could be; most of them harmless. No, it’s not a wool carpet. Just your usual garden-variety low-pile synthetic of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![Lux\_Fiat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/4 "2004-10-05T04:42:29Z")
Is it a [house centipede](http://www.uark.edu/depts/entomolo/museum/house_centipede.html)? ---
**Author:** ![indecisive1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@indecisive1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indecisive1)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/5 "2004-10-05T12:45:28Z")
Sounds like a millipede to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/6 "2004-10-05T15:39:30Z")
I’ve got those! I think they’re carpet beetle larvae or something. Not house centipedes- those are (the centipedes are) much bigger. I’m now sitting with my feet protectively drawn up off the ground because of that picture. I hate centipedes. ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/7 "2004-10-05T15:43:06Z")
Bingo on the carpet beetle larvae. [Link](http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/struct/ef601.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/8 "2004-10-05T18:01:50Z")
> [@TwoTrouts](#): > > Bingo on the carpet beetle larvae. [Link](http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/struct/ef601.htm) I don’t think it’s a carpet beetle–the text says they’re densely covered with bristles, and this little guy isn’t. The only bristles are the ones coming out of his back end. Other than that, he’s pretty smooth. Is there a carpet beetle larva that _isn’t_ bristly? ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/9 "2004-10-05T18:15:40Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > I don’t think it’s a carpet beetle–the text says they’re densely covered with bristles, and this little guy isn’t. The only bristles are the ones coming out of his back end. Other than that, he’s pretty smooth. Is there a carpet beetle larva that _isn’t_ bristly? Yes, there are many species with pronounced differences in the bristle placement of the larvae. ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/10 "2004-10-05T18:17:39Z")
Is the bristle placement like this? [Black carpet beetle larva](http://www.ento.vt.edu/Facilities/OnCampus/IDLab/id/carpet-b.cmp). ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-worm-bug-larva-thingy-did-i-find-in-my-carpet/267604/11 "2004-10-05T18:42:33Z")
> [@TwoTrouts](#): > > Is the bristle placement like this? [Black carpet beetle larva](http://www.ento.vt.edu/Facilities/OnCampus/IDLab/id/carpet-b.cmp). Yep, that’s closer (though he doesn’t have anywhere close to that number of bristles in the back). Maybe he is a carpet beetle larva after all.