Drugstore beetle

Natural Habitat

Found worldwide in human structures, specifically in kitchens, pantries, pharmacies, and dried product storage areas.

Diet & Feeding

Polyphagous; they consume a wide variety of dried plant products including flour, bread, spices (like paprika and chili powder), herbal medicines, and even prescription drugs.

Behavior Patterns

Adults are active flyers and are attracted to light. They lay eggs on or near food sources, where the larvae tunnel through the material and pupate within a small cocoon made of food particles.

Risks & Benefits

Significant pantry pest that contaminates stored food with silk and feces. They pose no direct physical harm to humans (cannot bite or sting) but cause economic loss by spoiling consumables.

Identified on: 12/28/2025