My daughter caught a bug in her room and is not happy...

April 3, 2022 8:48 PM

Can you identify what it is? (the picture is a bit grainy, we had to trap it with tape on paper.) Is it a one off or the advance scout for the hordes to follow?
posted by FungusCassetteBicker to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

How big is it?
posted by mekily at 8:50 PM on April 3, 2022

Response by poster: Here it is next to my little finger.
posted by FungusCassetteBicker at 8:56 PM on April 3, 2022

I'm gonna say carpet beetle larva.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:59 PM on April 3, 2022

Response by poster: Doesn't seem to have the rows of light brown hair and tail of longer hairs that carpet beetle larvae are described as having.
posted by FungusCassetteBicker at 9:27 PM on April 3, 2022

Best answer: I'm not a bug expert but it looks like a Scarlet Malachite Beetle Larva. If so, it's predatory and not a pest. This blog author talks about finding one in a chest of drawers and rearing it to adulthood.
posted by brachiopod at 9:47 PM on April 3, 2022 [3 favorites]

Best answer: If it is a scarlet malachite beetle, it would be very cool to watch it grow up! Then you can release her back outside to take care of your garden.

Bonus: daughter learns that insects aren't all bad.
posted by amtho at 9:54 PM on April 3, 2022 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Here's a link to someone's story of raising one.

As the text says, the only way to really know what it is is to keep it around until it's an adult.
posted by amtho at 9:55 PM on April 3, 2022 [4 favorites]