
Community identification
Drugstore Beetle
Stegobium paniceum
- Order & Family
- Coleoptera, Ptinidae
- Size
- 2.25 to 3.5 mm (1/10 to 1/7 inch)
Natural Habitat
Found globally in pantries, kitchens, and warehouses where stored food is kept.
Diet & Feeding
Generalist feeder on dried plant materials, spices, grains, flour, and even non-food items like leather or books.
Behavior Patterns
Adults are active flyers and attracted to light; they do not feed, but larvae are voracious eaters that tunnel through food sources.
Risks & Benefits
Major household pest that contaminates food supplies; poses no bite risk to humans but causes significant economic damage to stored products.