Drugstore Beetle (Cigarette Beetle alternative)
Scientific Name: Stegobium paniceum
Order & Family: Order: Coleoptera; Family: Ptinidae
Size: 2.25 to 3.5 mm (approximately 1/10 to 1/7 inch) in length.
Natural Habitat
Found worldwide in temperature-controlled indoor environments, specifically kitchens, pantries, and storage warehouses where dry goods are kept.
Diet & Feeding
Broad range of stored products including flour, dry pet food, cereals, spices, coffee beans, and even non-food items like books (paper/glue) and dried herbarium specimens.
Behavior Patterns
They are capable of flight and are attracted to light. They complete their life cycle in 2 to 7 months depending on temperature; the larvae are the primary feeders, boring into hard food items.
Risks & Benefits
They are major domestic and commercial pests that contaminate food sources with frass (waste) and cocoons. While they do not bite or transmit diseases to humans, they cause significant economic loss and waste by ruining pantry staples.
Identified on: 1/9/2026