Drugstore Beetle (or potentially Cigarette Beetle)
Scientific Name: Stegobium paniceum (Drugstore Beetle) or Lasioderma serricorne (Cigarette Beetle)
Order & Family: Order: Coleoptera (Beetles), Family: Ptinidae (Spider beetles and Death-watch beetles)
Size: 2 to 3.5 mm (approx. 1/10 to 1/7 inch) in length
Natural Habitat
Typically found indoors in pantries, warehouses, and storage areas. They thrive in dried plant products, stored food items, spices, and pet food.
Diet & Feeding
Polyphagous scavengers; they eat a vast array of dried goods including flour, spices (especially paprika and chili), bread, cereal, pet food, leather, wool, paper, and even prescription drugs (hence the name).
Behavior Patterns
They are attracted to light and are surprisingly good fliers. Adult beetles live for a few weeks to months, primarily to reproduce. Females lay eggs directly on food sources. The larvae burrow into the food, creating tunnels as they eat.
Risks & Benefits
Risks: Major pantry pests that can infest and contaminate food products, rendering them inedible. They are harmless to humans directly (they do not bite or sting) but can cause significant economic loss and waste. Benefits: None in a household setting; they help decompose dried organic matter in the wild.
Identified on: 2/17/2026