Spider Beetle (Likely a Hump Spider Beetle or similar species)
Scientific Name: Gibbium aequinoctiale (Hump Spider Beetle) or Mezium americanum (American Spider Beetle) are common examples, but exact species identification is difficult from the image alone.
Order & Family: Order: Coleoptera, Family: Ptinidae
Size: Typically small, ranging from 1 to 5 mm in length.
Natural Habitat
They prefer damp, dark, and undisturbed environments. Common habitats include pantries, warehouses, museums, bird nests, and rodent burrows. They can infest stored food products in homes, attics, or commercial structures.
Diet & Feeding
Spider beetles are scavengers and feed on a wide variety of dry organic matter, including grains, seeds, dried fruits, historical artifacts (like dried insects or leather), spices, pet food, and even wool or other animal-based textiles. They are considered pantry pests.
Behavior Patterns
Spider beetles are typically nocturnal and prefer dark, undisturbed areas. When disturbed, some species may feign death. They are not strong flyers. The larvae are the damaging stage, burrowing into food items.
Risks & Benefits
Risks: Primarily a pest of stored dry goods, causing contamination and damage to food products, museum specimens, and other organic materials. They do not bite or transmit diseases to humans. Benefits: In natural environments, they contribute to the decomposition of organic matter, but their presence is generally unwanted in human-built structures.
Identified on: 8/26/2025