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Drugstore Beetle
Image by USDA-ARS-GMPRC Image Database - License: Public Domain. (view image details)
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Drugstore Beetle larva
Image by USDA-ARS-GMPRC Image Database - License: Public Domain. (view image details)
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DRUGSTORE BEETLE FACTS |
Identification
The Drugstore Beetle is a member of the same family as the Common Furniture Beetle and the Cigarette Beetle. It is a reddish brown beetle with rows of pits in fine lines along the wing covers. The antennae have a three segment club at the end. The larvae are creamy white c-shaped grubs. Cigarette Beetles are very similar to Drugstore Beetles (Stegobium paniceum) but the cigarette beetle has uniform antennae while the Drugstore beetle antennae terminate in a distinct three segment club. The Cigarette Beetle has smooth wing covers and the Drugstore Beetle has rows of pits in fine lines along the wing covers. The Drugstore Beetle is also very similar Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum), but A. punctatum has a pronounced humped hooded thorax.
Other Names
Biscuit Beetle (UK name), Drug store Beetle
Size
length 2mm to 3.5mm
Food
The Drugstore Beetle attacks cereal grains such as wheat, oats, corn, maize, barley, sorghum as well as processed cereal products. They infest a wide range of other products including pharmacy drugs, almonds, peanuts, pepper, cornmeal, flour, wheat bran, dry pet biscuits, birdseed, beans, fish meal, pasta. It even eats non food items such as books, museum exhibits, wool, leather - you name it they will eat it.
Breeding
Female beetles lay white eggs singly in the food product. The larvae tunnel into the food product to feed and pupate after about 4 to 5 months. The adult emerges from the pupa after about 12 to 18 days.
Range
The Drugstore Beetle is an exotic pest insect that is also found in Australia
Classification
| Class: | Insecta | | Order: | Coleoptera | | Family: | Anobiidae | | Genus: | Stegobium | | Species: | paniceum | | Common Name: | Drugstore Beetle |
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