Railroad Worm vs Varied Carpet Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Railroad Worm | Varied Carpet Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phrixothrix hirtus | Anthrenus verbasci |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Phengodidae | Dermestidae |
| Size | 30-65 mm (larvae) | 2-3 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Underground |
| Diet | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Regions | South America | Worldwide |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
Railroad Worm
A beetle larva with 11 pairs of green-glowing lateral organs and a red-glowing headlamp — the only land animal that produces two different colors of bioluminescence simultaneously.
Did You Know?
The railroad worm is the only terrestrial animal that glows in two colors at once — green along its sides like railway car windows and red on its head like a locomotive.
Varied Carpet Beetle
A tiny, round beetle with mottled white, brown, and yellow scales on its elytra. It is a worldwide pest of natural fiber collections.
Did You Know?
Museum curators consider it one of the greatest threats to insect specimen collections.