Suspected Beetle Larvea

Tucson, AZ

I live in the US, more specifically Arizona. For just about as long as I can remember, I have seen shells of small worms, similar to meal worms about a cm long, all around in houses, back yards, old boxes and bins, ect. Up until now, I have not seen a live one. I have always wondered what species the shells belonged to, and now that I have a live one, and not just half of a broken remnant, I thought I would learn. Having previously been the owner of multiple frogs and lizards, the only thing that comes to mind is meal worm, being a beetle larvae. However these are a little smaller than what you would get at Petsmart. Dark brown with small hairs protruding from the back and even smaller ones on the sides. Six small legs near the head, and about a cm in length. Thank you in advance for any possible information on the species. This specific individual was found in a drawer in my bedroom. I can infer that it was eating the frayed fibers or parts of the particle board in the back, as I do not keep food in the same place as my clothing, and this particular drawer houses only plastic and electronics.

This message was edited May 22, 2019 11:31 PM

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Minot, ND

This looks like a larva of a carpet beetle in the genus Attagenus (black carpet beetles and allies) - https://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/fabric/black_carpet_beetle.htm

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