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I just found this in my Drosophila lab (within a closed vial) - unfortunately it was dead having been frozen for two weeks. Can anyone help id what it is, and whether it poses a risk to my flies (like mites do)? My inclination is that it is some kind of (moth?) larvae. Note the awesome corkscrew tail...

Found in Uppsala, Sweden, May 2014 in a vial of Drosophila with food (a yeast, sugar, and agar mix). Length is about 3-4mm excl. tail.

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I'd guess it's a larva of one of the carpet beetles (Dermestidae), some of which are synanthropic. They probably would be interested not in live flies, but in their food and cadavers.

Its appearance seems to be very characteristic - someone would be able to identify it to generic or even specific level.

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    $\begingroup$ Attagenus gebus is known for having longer tails than other dermestid beetles. See Orkin, for example. $\endgroup$
    – theforestecologist ♦
    Commented Jul 12, 2019 at 4:29

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