Drugstore beetle or Cigarette beetle

Natural Habitat

Commonly found in kitchens, pantries, and food processing facilities worldwide. They often inhabit stored dry goods.

Diet & Feeding

A wide variety of dried plant products including spices (turmeric, paprika), flour, bread, cookies, cereal, dried flowers, and even leather or book bindings.

Behavior Patterns

Adults are active flyers and are attracted to light. They have a symbiotic relationship with yeast that allows them to survive on nutrient-poor foods. The larvae do the majority of the damage by tunneling through food sources.

Risks & Benefits

They are serious household and commercial pests that contaminate food with larvae, cocoons, and waste. They pose no direct physical harm to humans (no biting or stinging), but can cause significant economic loss by spoiling pantry items.

Identified on: 3/26/2026