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IDENTIFICATION

Identifying pests found in your collection is an important step in understanding how to treat the problem and prevent future occurrences.
  • Pest Fact Sheets
  • Identification Resources
  • Image Library
  • Bibliography
  • Web Resources
  • Image Submissions
The Pest Fact Sheets are an easy to read, single page handout for the most common museum pests as determined by a survey of museum professionals.  Each sheet includes the following: general information, identification images, signs of infestation, food sources, life-cycle and treatment options and bibliographic references on the information collected for that particular sheet.

Unless a specific institution is credited, the resources on these pages have been developed by members of the Integrated Pest Management Working Group’s Identification Aids Committee. For more on the IPM-WG please click here. The institutional documents such as images and flashcards have been provided by various members of the museum community reviewed and vetted by the IPM-WG.

Sheets are currently available for the following pests as Adobe PDF:
View Common Name Latin Name
PDF American Cockroach Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus)
PDF Black Larder Beetle Dermestes ater (De Geer)
PDF Book Lice or Psocids Liposcelis sp.
PDF Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Staint.)
PDF Brownbanded Cockroach Supella longipalpa (Fabricius)
PDF Casemaking Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella (Linnaeus)
PDF Cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius)
PDF Deathwatch Beetle Xestobium rufovillosum (De Geer)
PDF Drugstore Beetle Stegobium paniceum (Linnaeus)
PDF Firebrat Thermobia domestica (Packard)
PDF Furniture Beetle Anobium punctatum (DeGeer)
PDF Furniture Carpet Beetle Anthrenus flavipes (LeConte)
PDF German Cockroach Blattella germanica (Linnaeus)
PDF Hide Beetle Dermestes maculatus (De Geer)
PDF House Mouse Mus domesticus (Rutty)
PDF Larder Beetle Dermestes lardarius (Linnaeus)
PDF Norway Rat aka Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout)
PDF Odd Beetle Thylodrias contractus (Motschulsky)
PDF Oriental Cockroach Blatta orientalis (Linnaeus)
PDF Silverfish Lepisma saccharina (Linnaeus)
PDF True Powderpost Beetle Lyctus brunneus (Steph.)
PDF Varied Carpet Beetle Anthrenus verbasci (Linneaus)
PDF Warehouse Beetle Trogoderma variabile (Ballion)
PDF Webbing Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella (Hummel)
PDF Whiteshouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella (Linnaeus)
PDF Woodlouse Hunter Spider Dysdera crocata (Koch)

 

  • Insects Limited Dirty Dozen/Common Museum Pests Poster

  • Members of the IPM-WG gave a presentation entitled Integrated Pest Management and the Case of What Dun It? at the 2007 American Association of Museum’s Annual Meeting. Participants were presented with hypothetical worst-case scenarios and a series of clues in this hands-on session. The goal was to learn how to use straightforward analytical tools and references to determine a problem''s source, and propose treatment strategies, become familiar with the principles of IPM, and develop some handy skills in basic pest identification, and the trail of evidence they leave behind. For a link to the abstract on the AAM website click here. Click here to view the Powerpoint presentation online click here to download (5 MB)

  • Flash Cards These ‘flashcards’ created by the students of Sir Sandford Fleming College’s Museum Management and Curatorship program give some descriptive appearance information along with a black and white line drawing and some comical presented facts on behavior.

  • Wanted Posters

 

The IPM-WG continues to actively collect pest images for this image library.  If you have images of pests or pest damage (with documented information regarding which pest caused the damage) please contact the IPM-WG Identification Aids committee chair info@ museumpests.net.

Show Thumbnails      
 
Latin Name
Common Name
Order
Indicator
Zoom in
Anthrenus scrophulariae  
Common Carpet Beetle  
 
 
Zoom in
Anthrenus verbasci  
Varied Carpet Beetle  
 
 
Zoom in
Anthrenus verbasci  
Varied Carpet Beetle  
 
 
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Anthrenus verbasci  
Varied Carpet Beetle  
 
 
Zoom in
Attagenus unicolor  
Black Carpet Beetle  
 
 
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Dermestes lardarius  
Larder Beetle  
 
 
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Dermestes lardarius  
Larder Beetles  
 
 
Zoom in
Liposcelis sp.  
Booklouse  
 
 
Zoom in
Lyctus brunneus  
True Powderpost Beetle  
 
 
Zoom in
Mus musculus  
House Mouse  
 
 
Zoom in
Periplaneta americana  
American Cockroach  
 
 
Zoom in
Rattus norvegicus  
Norway Rat  
 
 
Zoom in
Rattus norvegicus  
Norway Rat  
 
 
Zoom in
Supella longipalpa  
Brown Banded Cockroach  
 
 
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Thermobia domestica  
Firebrat  
 
 
Zoom in
Thylodrias contractus  
Odd Beetle  
 
 
Zoom in
Thylodrias contractus  
Odd Beetle  
 
 
Zoom in
Thylodrias contractus  
Odd Beetle  
 
 
Click here to assemble as PDF.

Identification

 

Bell, WJ. "Cockroaches in the Museum Environment." A Guide to Museum Pest Control. eds L. A. Zycherman, and JR SchrockWashington DC: Foundation of the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artisic Works// The Association of Systematic Collections, 1988.

Blyth, Valerie. "The Indian Vase Carpet Fragment, Decisions and Discussions Prior to Conservation." Victoria and Albert Conservation Journal 31 (1999).

———. "Pest Management at the Victoria and Albert Museum." in Post Prints, UKIC Furniture Section, Pest Control in Organic Materials1996.

Blyth, Valerie, and Lynda Hillyer. "Carpet Beetle: A Pilot Study in Detection and Control." The Conservator 16 (1992).

Brian J. Cabrera. "Featured Creatures, Cigarette Beetle." Web page, [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/stored/cigarette_beetle.htm.

Busvine, JR. Insects and Hygene. The Biology and Control of Insect Pests of Medical and Domestic Importance. 3rd ed. London: Chapman and Hall, 1980.

Cornell University Insect Diagnostic Laboratory. "Cigarette and Drugstore Beetles." Web page, December 2008 [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/public/IthacaCampus/ExtOutreach/DiagnosticLab/Factsheets/CigDrugstoreBeetles.html.

Do It Yourself Pest Control. "Cigarette Beetle and Drugstore Beetles." Web page, [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://www.pantrypest.com/cigarette.htm.

Ebeling, Walter. Urban Entomology. Riverside: University of California Press, 1978.

European Commission on Preservation and Access . "Virtual Exhibition of the Ravages of Dust, Water, Moulds, Fungi, Bookworms and Other Pests." Web page, Available at http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/expo.htm.

Florian, Mary-Lou. Heritage Eaters: Insects and Fungi in Heritage CollectionsJames & James Publishers, 1997.

Gorham, J. R. Insect and Mite Pests in Food, An Illustrated Key, Vol. Volumes 1 & 2. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture, 1987.

Hedges, Stoy. Field Guide for the Management of Structure Infesting Flies. Cleveland: G.I.E. Inc., 1998.

Hedges, Stoy, and Mark Lacey. Field Guide for the Management of Structure Infesting Beetles, Vol. 2. Cleveland: Franzak and Foster Co..

Hillyer, L, and V Blyth. "Carpet Beetles A Pilot Study in Detection and Control." The Conservator 16 (1992): 65-77.

Iowa State university, Department of Entomology. "Iowa Insect Information Notes, Cigarette Beetle and Drugstore Beetle." Web page, July 2005 [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/bciarett.html.

Kesse, Erich. Identification of Infested Paper, Book and Textile Formats.

———. Know the Signs of Insect Infestation.

Kigawa, R., H. Nochide, Y. Miyazawa, S. Miura, and Thomas J. K. Strang. "Carbon Dioxide Adsorption by Various Kinds of Materials in the Eradication of Museum Pest Insects. " Science for Conservation 42, no. 79-86.

Kingsley, Helen, David Pinninger, Amber Xavier-Rowe, and Peter Winsor. Integrated Pest Management for Collections, Proceedings of 2001: A Pest OdysseyEnglish Heritage.

Linnie, Martyn J. "Intergrated Pest Management: A Proposed Strategy for Natural History Museums." Museum Management and Curatorship 15 , no. 2 (1996): 133-43.

Mallis, Arnold. Handbook of Pest Control : the Behavior, Life History, and Control of Household Pests by Arnold Mallis. 9 ed. Cleveland, OH: GIE Media Inc., 2004.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and indexes. Submitted by Laura Smyk

Motylewsky, Karen. "Pest, Insect & Fungus Management - Conference Notes." .

Pinniger, David. Insect Pests in Museums Institue of Archaeology Publications, 1989.

Pinniger, David, Adrian Meyer, and Annette Townsend. Pest Management in Museums, Archives and Historic Houses. London: Archetype Publications Ltd., 2001.

Professional Pest Control Products. "Cigarette Beetle." Web page, [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://www.pestproducts.com/cigarett.htm.

Resh, Vincent H., and Ring T. Cardé, eds. Encyclopedia of Insects. New York: Academic Press, 2003.

Smith, Eric H., and Richard C. Whitman. Npca Field Guide to Structural PestsNational Pest Control Association Inc., 1997.

Steve Jacobs, Sr. Extension Associate. "Entomological Notes, Cigarette Beetle." Web page, March 1998 [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/cigarette_beetle.htm.

Strang, Thomas J. K. "Moth Eaten." in Fur Trade Legacy, the Preservation of Organic Materials. Preprints From the Workshop at the 31st Annual ConferenceCanadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property.

———. "Psocids or "Book Lice": A Warning of Dampness." CCI Note 3/4, Canadian Conservation Institute, 1998.

Stuart M Bennett. "Cigarette or Tobacco Beetle." Web page, 2003 [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th7m.htm.

U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Pictorial Keys to Arthropods, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals of Public Health Significance. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health Education, and Welfare. 1967.

Virginia Cooperative Extension. "Cigarette Beetle." Web page, 1996 [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/factsheets/cigarett.html.

Virginia Cooperative Extension. "Drugstore Beetle." Web page, 1996 [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/factsheets/drugstor.html.

Wikipedia. "Cigarette Beetle (Lasioderma serricorne)." Web page, December 2008 [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasioderma_serricorne.

Wikipedia. "Drugstore Beetle (Stegobium paniceum)." Web page, January 2009 [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drugstore_beetle.

William F. Lyon . "Cigarette and Drugstore Beetles." Web page, [accessed 19 February 2009]. Available at http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2083.html.

The Resources, Web Resources page has additional resources that may pertain to identification

The Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) at Harvard University maintains an online database for primary types in the entomology collections. The MCZ insect type collection, one of the largest in North America, currently preserves the primary types of more than 28,000 species, representing 29 orders, 565 families, and 7,578 genera. In addition to such information as type label data, type stage and status, current species name (if available), the database includes high resolution images of the type specimens.

http://www.mcz.harvard.edu/Departments/Entomology/
http://mcz-28168.oeb.harvard.edu/mcztypedb.htm

This website run by volunteer naturalists bills itself as a site for “Identification, Images, & Information For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin For the United States & Canada.”  There are numerous images of insects that can be helpful in identification.  A search can be made on the common name (e.g. booklice, cigarette beetle, dermestid).  Registered users can post images for help in identification.
www.bugguide.net

National Park Service Integrated Pest Management web page contains links to multiple other sites as well as species specific information on museum pests such as carpet beetles, clothes moths, cluster flies, psocids/booklice, silverfish/firebrats.
http://www.nps.gov/phso/ipm/museum.htm

This site contains Information on pest species from the University of California, Riverside Department of Entomology with a focus on California insects, rather than museum pests.  The site also maintains an online eidition of Ebeling’s out-of-print reference Urban Entomology.
http://www.entomology.ucr.edu/information/
http://www.entomology.ucr.edu/ebeling/

The Pest Control Canada site includes information for both professionals and consumers.  There are links to pages with information on common pests in Canada, an on-line forum, and an identification site where people can post images of pests that they hope to identify
http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/index.html

Urban Pest Control Research Center website.  The company is dedicated to conducting research, training, and control programs on household and structural pests. The professional entomologists at the UPCRC conduct and supervise field research, provide insect identifications, conduct training courses and seminars, and design integrated pest management programs for commercial, government, and residential sites.  The website contains information on identification, training and research.
http://www.upcrc.com/index.html

The Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) is the world''s largest collection of Australian insects and related groups such as mites, spiders, worms and centipedes.  Information for identification of species.  This group is linked to the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO) Australia''s government entomology research organization. Nice color moth keys, Although some species are only specific to Australia.  Information on identification of species.  Their Ecowatch website has outreach information and the Coleoptera page has species specific information on beetles.
http://www.ento.csiro.au/
http://www.ento.csiro.au/Ecowatch/index.htm
http://www.ento.csiro.au/Ecowatch/Coleoptera/Coleoptera.htm
http://www.ento.csiro.au/Ecowatch/Coleoptera/chrysomelidae.htm

A wealth of information and identification tools for dermestid species.
http://www.dermestidae.com/     

Insect Images website is a source for entomology photos.  The site, which offers free images with registration, is a joint project of the Bugwood Network, University of Georgia and the USDA Forest Service.
http://www.insectimages.org/

The Bug Network website for The Bugwood Work Group.  The mission for the group is to gather, create, maintain, promote the use of, and economically distribute digital information both as resources and as tools to enhance and complement information exchange and educational activities primarily in the fields of entomology, forestry, forest health and natural resources.
www.bugwood.org

Information on species with images from E-PestSupply.com an on-line retailer
http://www.epestsupply.com/pest_information.htm

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension Service.  Information on different common pests as well as extensive links to pesticide information.
http://www.ent.uga.edu/ipm/homeowner_ipm.htm#basics

Information for moth identification is available on this website from the Mississippi State University and Mississippi Entomological Museum.
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/MainMenu.shtml  

The Museums of Cape Town website with excellent pictures of beetles 
http://www.museums.org.za/bio/insects/beetles/

The Iowa State Department of Entomology has a very helpful index, "Entomology Index
of Internet Resources".  It is organized by content type (images, databases, etc.), taxonomic group and entomology subdivision.  Their diagnostic Laboratory contains images and information on specific species
www.ent.iastate.edu
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/clinic/node/11 -

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History California Beetle Project’s website has information on “taxonomic checklists, a comprehensive, searchable distributional database, descriptions of ongoing fieldwork, a gallery of images of California beetles, ecological information for many species, and detailed information on several beetles considered endangered or threatened in California.”
http://www.sbnature.org/collections/invert/entom/cbphomepage.php

Entomology Department, Texas A&M University.  General information as well as an identification key for wood-boring beetles.
http://insects.tamu.edu/
http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/insctans/identification/woodboringbeetles/couplet0.html

University of Minnesota Extension Service page with information on Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/M1176.html

Penn State Department of Entomology with information on extension, education and more.  A search of the site links to other documents.
http://www.ento.psu.edu/
http://search.cas.psu.edu/query.html?qt=insect+identification&qc=cas&col=cas&qp=site%3Awww.ento.psu.edu

The Young Entomologists Society (Y.E.S.) website has a section “Minibeasts” with identification keys for Arthropods, information on beetles, an ‘Encyclopedia Bugtannica” and more.
http://members.aol.com/yesclub2/minimenu.html

Information from Do-It-Yourself Pest Control on the Powder Post beetle.
http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/powderpostbeetles.htm

Degesch America, a fumigant manufacturing company has a Pest Gallery with information on species.  Information on the following categories is available: appearance, life history, distribution, damage, and control.  The links on the Appearance and Damage attributes will open a small window showing the bug or damage, respectively.
http://www.degeschamerica.com/pests.html

The Math/Science Nucleus’s joint project with the City of Fremont, Alameda Public Works, and Fremont Unified School District to provide information on the biology, geology, and chemistry of southern Alameda County.  The site has pdf documents with with line-drawings of ladybugs, beetles, and other insects
http://www.msnucleus.org/watersheds/tule/pdf/
http://www.msnucleus.org/watersheds/tule/pdf/LadybugIdentification.pdf
http://www.msnucleus.org/watersheds/tule/pdf/beetles.pdf

Nature Photographer’s personal website with some high quality images of individual insects.
http://www.pbase.com/lejun/root

Image of the Patent-leather Beetle (Odontotaenius disjunctus) http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/patent-leather_beetle.htm

We have a form to upload submissions to MuseumPests.net.

It is located in the About Us Section.

You may click this link to get there: About Us Page -  Submission Form.

Thank you.