Anthrenus castaneae

Melsheimer, 1844

Anthrenus castaneae is a carpet beetle in the Dermestidae. First described by Melsheimer in 1844, it is native to North America with records from Canada and the United States. The species was historically placed in the subgenus Florilinus. Larval specimens have been documented in association with spider sacs and retreats, representing a distinctive relationship among carpet beetles.

Anthrenus castaneae by (c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sam Kieschnick. Used under a CC-BY license.

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Pronunciation

How to pronounce Anthrenus castaneae: //ˈæn.θɹə.nəs kæˈstæ.ni.eɪ//

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Images

Habitat

Spider sacs and retreats

Distribution

North America; recorded from Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario) and the United States

Host Associations

spider egg sacs - larval Larvae discovered inhabiting spider sacs
spider retreats - larval Larvae documented in spider retreats

Behavior

Larvae inhabit spider sacs and retreats

Similar Taxa

Anthrenus verbasciSimilar patterned ; A. verbasci is and frequently encountered in human dwellings, while A. castaneae has more restricted distribution and documented association with spider
Anthrenus scrophulariaeAnother North American carpet beetle ; similarly found on flowers, but A. castaneae distinguished by documented larval in spider sacs
Anthrenus museorum carpet beetle ; A. castaneae distinguished by native North American distribution and specific association with spider

More Details

Taxonomic placement

The has been treated as Anthrenus (Florilinus) castaneae, indicating historical placement in the subgenus Florilinus within Anthrenus

Research significance

The 2024 discovery of larvae associated with spider sacs and retreats documents a novel association for this , expanding understanding of dermestid