
Community identification
Cigarette Beetle / Drugstore Beetle
Lasioderma serricorne / Stegobium paniceum
- Order & Family
- Coleoptera: Anobiidae (Ptinidae)
- Size
- 2mm to 3.5mm in length
Natural Habitat
Found worldwide in pantries, kitchens, warehouses, and locations where dried botanical products are stored.
Diet & Feeding
Polyphagous; they consume a wide variety of dried plant materials including spices, grains, flour, dried fruits, tobacco, and even non-food items like leather or books.
Behavior Patterns
They are active fliers and are attracted to light. They undergo complete metamorphosis; the larvae do the most damage by tunneling through food sources.
Risks & Benefits
They are major pests of stored products, causing significant economic loss through contamination and consumption of food supplies. They do not bite or sting humans and carry no known diseases.