Length 2 to 5 mm, width about 2.5 mm.  Head and pronotum are dark red-brown to black whilst the elytra are densely hairy and a lighter brown or even yellow-brown. Male's 11th antennal segment is sabre -shaped and four times the length of the previous two segments together.

A pest species which live in human buildings, homes and museums and eat wool textiles, carpets, skin and fur.

As the species mainly lives indoors in Northern Europe, both larva and adults are found at all times of the year.

Status in Britain not known.

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland. The Knighton record of 24th February 2018 is the first record of this species in VC55.