Bug Identifier
Drugstore Beetle / Cigarette Beetle
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
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

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.