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Varied Dermestid beetle
So tiny at just 2 to 3 mm in length. But how pretty, with the variegated scales.
Most Dermestids (beetles within family Dermestidae) are scavengers that feed on dry animal or plant material, such as skin or pollen, animal hair, feathers, dead insects and natural fibres.
This was just one of many that I saw on native Leptospermum polygalifolium flowers.
The varied carpet beetle is a 3 mm-long beetle belonging to the family Dermestidae. They are a common species, often considered a pest of domestic houses and, particularly, natural history museums, where the larvae may damage natural fibers and can damage carpets, furniture, clothing, and insect collections. "A. verbasci" was also the first insect to be shown to have an annual behavioral rhythm and to date remains a classic example of circannual cycles in animals.
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