Egg hatch in Anthrenus sarnicus Mroczkowski occurred over the temperature range 15-32.5°C with the highest percentage hatch of 85% at 25°C. The incubation period between the highest and lowest temperature ranged from 10 to 44 days respectively. Increase in humidity tended to decrease the duration of the egg stage. When reared on a diet consisting of fishmeal, yeast and cholesterol under constant temperature and humidity conditions in darkness, at temperatures above 15°C, the majority of larvae pupated between 38 and 60 weeks, but a small proportion took up to 92 weeks. At 25°C 70% r.h., 5% of larvae pupated after only 12-13 weeks. At 15°C pupation was bimodal, with the first period between weeks 54 and 60 and the second between weeks 90 and 110. When larvae were reared in a room where they were subjected to naturally fluctuating temperature, humidity and photoperiod, pupation was markedly synchronous compared to larvae under the same conditions but kept in constant dark. These results strongly suggested that synchrony in adult emergence is determined by the effects of seasonal changes in photoperiod on diapause induction and termination. Rearing larvae in a pigeon loft showed that successful completion of the life cycle can occur in outdoor conditions in southern England. Under such conditions the life cycle took either 1 or 2 years depending upon the time in the year when egg hatch occurred and temperature conditions during the active larval growth periods. Interactive effects of photoperiod and temperature on diapause development strongly synchronized adult emergence. Successful larval development occurred on a wide range of dried animal materials which could be found in museums and domestic environments. © 1990.
