
Community identification
Drugstore Beetle / Cigarette Beetle
Stegobium paniceum / Lasioderma serricorne
- Order & Family
- Order: Coleoptera; Family: Ptinidae
- Size
- 2.0 mm to 3.5 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Commonly found in domestic kitchens, pantries, pharmacies, and food warehouses worldwide.
Diet & Feeding
A wide variety of stored dried products including flour, spices, dry pet food, cereals, tobacco, and even non-food items like leather or books.
Behavior Patterns
Adults are capable of flight and are attracted to light. They undergo complete metamorphosis; larvae do the most damage by tunneling through food sources and leaving silken cocoons.
Risks & Benefits
Primarily a nuisance pest that causes economic damage by contaminating stored food products. They pose no direct physical risk to humans but can lead to significant food waste.