
Community identification
Drugstore Beetle
Stegobium paniceum
- Order & Family
- Coleoptera: Ptinidae
- Size
- 2.25 mm to 3.5 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Found worldwide in human structures particularly kitchens, pantries, and storage warehouses.
Diet & Feeding
Omnivorous scavengers that feed on dried plant products like bread, flour, spices, and even pharmaceutical drugs or leather.
Behavior Patterns
Adults are capable of flight and are attracted to light; larvae are grub-like and burrow through food sources creating tunnels.
Risks & Benefits
Significant economic pest causing food spoilage and damage to historical artifacts; poses no direct health risk to humans but contaminates food supplies.