Bug Identifier
Drugstore Beetle / Cigarette Beetle
Community identification

Drugstore Beetle / Cigarette Beetle

Stegobium paniceum / Lasioderma serricorne

Order & Family
Order: Coleoptera; Family: Ptinidae
Size
2mm - 3.5mm in length.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

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.