Anthrenus

Anthrenus is a genus of beetles in the Dermestidae family, skin beetles. One of several genera of carpet beetles, Anthrenus was historically placed in a subfamily Anthreninae, though presently included in the Megatominae. The genus Neoanthrenus is closely related.

Anthrenus carpet beetles are small beetles a few (1.8-4mm) millimeters long with a rounded shape. Their antennae bear small clubs at the end, which are larger in the males than in females. Many have a delicate pattern, with a dark body covered in colorful scales of various brown, tan, red, whitish and grey hues. These scales rub off easily and old individuals are often partially devoid of them, showing the shining black elytra. A considerable number of subspecies and varieties have been named, but it is questionable whether these are all valid or simply refer to such age-related differences. The massive number of species has been divided into several subgenera, but these are not too firmly established. The small subgenus Helocerus for example is sometimes entirely included in Florilinus. Also, new species are being described every now and then.