Drug Store Beetle

Stegobium paniceum

Drugstore Beetle appears reddish brown to dark brown.  It is oval in shape and its head is not visible from above. Its wings have rows of visible, tiny pits, unlike the closely related cigarette beetle whose wing covers are smooth and devoid of any puncture marks.  It can grow to 1/10 to 1/8 of an inch.

The female drugstore beetle lays up to 75 eggs in her lifetime and may deposit them on more than one food source. The drugstore beetle can complete as many as four generations per year in warm climates or inside warm buildings.

The larvae are external feeders and are capable of damaging whole grains or seeds. Adults actively crawl and fly. The drugstore beetle's Latin name of paniceum was derived from its habit of feeding on bread. Its common name was given because it can be found infesting drugs and similar products. This beetle, however, will literally feed on any dried, food-based material, especially dried pet foods, cereal products and spices. It has also been observed to damage books by feeding on the bindings.