Drugstore Beetle (or Bread Beetle)

Natural Habitat

Found worldwide in domestic kitchens, bakeries, pharmacies, and food storage facilities.

Diet & Feeding

Polyphagous; they eat a wide range of dried plant products including flour, bread, cereal, spices, tea, and even non-food items like leather, books, and drug prescriptions.

Behavior Patterns

Adults are active flyers and are attracted to light. Females lay eggs on a food source, then the larvae tunnel through the material as they feed and grow. They are known for being very similar in appearance to cigarette beetles but can be distinguished by the three-segmented club on their antennae.

Risks & Benefits

They are major pests of stored products, causing significant economic damage by contaminating and destroying food supplies. They pose no direct physical harm to humans (they do not bite or sting) but can ruin household pantry goods.

Identified on: 3/18/2026