[4] Adult beetles feed on pollen and nectar, usually selecting white or whitish flowers such as buckwheat, wild aster, daisy, Spiraea and Ceanothus.

[3] When the eggs are laid on carpets and household fabrics, the larvae feed on the animal fibres and make holes in the materials.

Exhibits in museums may be eaten away, leaving a powdering of fine dust[3] round dried insects in collections; herbarium specimens may also be consumed.

Small items can be placed in airtight containers to keep the beetles out, and both heat and cold treatments are effective against the larvae and eggs.

[7] The albidus form occurs across a range that extends from Southeastern Europe (Croatia to Romania, and more south to Greece) through Turkey and is also reported from the Caucasus region, Syria and Uzbekistan.