[2] This is generally attributed to its prevalence throughout Australia and New Zealand and the negative economic and agricultural impact it has as a pest.

[5] A notable feature of the A. australis larvae is their white and tan “colourful and distinctive patterned” complete setal bands.

Capable of laying up to forty tiny “oval shaped and cream coloured eggs”, smaller than one millimetre, the female lays each egg at a different location in crevasses of fibrous or animal products such as wool, cotton, or the hair and skin of dead animals.

[5] The eggs are laid separately for maximum probability of survival and generally take between ten and twenty days to hatch.

[5] The female chooses insulated and well protected commodities to lay their eggs, so upon hatching, the larvae has a source of food.

In a protected and artificial environment, such as a glass jar, Wakley noted the larvae continued to thrive for over twenty years.

Unlike its preference as a larva, the adult beetle is attracted to light and is commonly found outside searching for food and feeds on pollen and nectar from flowers.

[7] Anthrenocerus australis is not affected by the British winter, indicative of their survival in Britain for the last century, but during the summer the temperature may not rise enough to promote a healthy rate of breeding.

[6] Alongside agricultural issues, the beetle is a problem in museums, “attacking dried artefacts or organic origin and woolen goods”.

[15] In 1997, a study conducted in Belgium, the authors surmised that insects and mites cause around 30% of all stored food to become irreversibly damaged or eaten.

[17] According to experts[5] in the field of pest control and mitigation, a specific formula of chemicals containing permethrin are effective against most keratin consuming insects, including A.

[21] Another method more commonly used is simply storing the grain and fabric products in an environment which is not conducive to the survival of pests (Boyer, Zhang and Lempérière, 2011).

It is recommended that regular cleaning occur, specifically taking note to the corners and edges of carpets, and to spray with an insecticide in the time period when the larvae are likely to hatch.