
Community identification
Drugstore Beetle / Cigarette Beetle
Stegobium paniceum / Lasioderma serricorne
- Order & Family
- Order: Coleoptera; Family: Ptinidae
- Size
- 2mm - 3.5mm in length.
Natural Habitat
Inhabits pantries, kitchens, and warehouses globally, specifically within stored dried food products.
Diet & Feeding
Larvae feed on a wide variety of dried plant and animal products including flour, cereal, dry pet food, spices, and tobacco; adults do not feed.
Behavior Patterns
Adults are active flyers and are attracted to light; they lay eggs in a food source, where the larvae live and feed during their development.
Risks & Benefits
Major household pests that contaminate food stores; they pose no direct health risk to humans through biting or stinging, but can cause significant economic losses in the food industry.