
Community identification
Drugstore beetle
Stegobium paniceum
- Order & Family
- Order Coleoptera, Family Ptinidae
- Size
- 2 to 3.5 millimeters long.
Natural Habitat
Found indoors worldwide, particularly in pantries, kitchens, and anywhere dry organic goods are stored.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds on a wide variety of dry plant and animal products, including grains, flour, spices, pet food, and even pharmaceuticals.
Behavior Patterns
Adults are strong fliers and are attracted to light, while females lay eggs directly on food sources where larvae tunnel and feed.
Risks & Benefits
They pose no direct health hazard to humans, but they are major household and industrial pests that contaminate and ruin stored food products.