Varied Carpet Beetle

Subject: ladybug?
Location: California
February 22, 2014 6:28 pm
It looks like a ladybug, but has a brown shell with black dots. It has many aspects of those of a ladybug. Such as hiding its wings beneath its shell.
Signature: whichever way seemed fit

Dear whichever way seemed fit,
You have Varied Carpet Beetles, Anthrenus verbasci, a common household pest.  The adults feed on Pollen and it is the larvae that do the damage in the home.  According to BugGuide, they feed on a “wide variety of materials of animal origin (wool, fur, skins…)(1); stored food materials and products (biscuits, cakes, seeds, wheat, maize, oats, rice, cayenne pepper, cacao, and dried cheese); adults feed on pollen.”  BugGuide also notes:  “The most abundant species in buildings; arguably, world’s most important pest of insect collections. Adults from indoor populations have a negative attraction to light, but near the end of their oviposition period they become attracted to light. Adults from outdoor populations show attraction to light. Adults are active fliers and often fly high above the ground. They enter houses through open windows, around eaves, soffits, and attic vents, and often lay eggs in the dead insects collecting in light fixtures.”