
Community identification
Drugstore Beetle (or Bread Beetle)
Stegobium paniceum
- Order & Family
- Order: Coleoptera; Family: Ptinidae
- Size
- 2.25 mm to 3.5 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Found worldwide, typically in pantries, kitchens, and warehouses where dry food products are stored.
Diet & Feeding
Polyphagous; they consume a wide variety of dried plant products including flour, bread, cereal, spices, coffee beans, and even non-food items like books or hair.
Behavior Patterns
The adults do not feed but are active fliers attracted to light. Females lay eggs on food sources; larvae are C-shaped grubs that tunnel through the food material during their development.
Risks & Benefits
Significant economic pest of stored products. While they do not bite or carry diseases, they contaminate food with frass (droppings) and silk, making it unfit for human consumption.