# Drugstore Beetle (*Stegobium paniceum*)

The Drugstore Beetle is a tiny insect that loves to munch on dried foods like grains and spices. They are small and brown, making them hard to spot in your kitchen!

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Urban areas
- **Also known as:** Bread Beetle, Flour Beetle

![Drugstore Beetle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Stegobium.paniceum.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Sarefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stegobium.paniceum.jpg)

## Appearance

The Drugstore Beetle is a small, reddish-brown to dark brown insect with a cylindrical body covered in fine, short hairs. Its head is often tucked deeply under its pronotum, making it hard to see from above. It has distinct antennae ending in a three-segmented club, distinguishing it from other common pantry pests.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Coleoptera
- **Family:** Anobiidae
- **Genus:** Stegobium

## Interesting facts

- Female beetles can lay hundreds of tiny eggs, ensuring many new beetles!
- Its scientific name, Stegobium paniceum, means "bread-eating cupboard-dweller"!
- They can chew through aluminum foil and even lead to get to food!
- They once infested an ancient Egyptian tomb, eating mummified food!

## Special abilities

- **Super Survivor Stomach:** Drugstore Beetles can digest an incredible variety of foods, even toxic ones, that helps them survive in many environments.
- **Packaging Penetrator:** Drugstore Beetles have strong mandibles that help them chew through paper, foil, and plastic to reach their food.
- **Distant Dinner Detector:** Drugstore Beetles have sensitive antennae that help them locate hidden food sources from a considerable distance.
- **Toxin Tolerator:** Drugstore Beetles can withstand many chemicals and even some poisons, which helps them infest a wide range of products.

## Measurements & details

- **Wingspan:** 4-7 mm
- **Size:** 2-3.5 mm
- **Lifespan:** 40-90 days
- **Leg Count:** 6

## Diet & Feeding

These tiny beetles are omnivores, eating almost any dried plant or animal product they find.

- **Age differences:** Larvae cause most of the feeding damage before pupating.
- **Primary Foods:** dried pasta, pet food, spices, dried fruit, tobacco, books
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Drugstore Beetle Parasitoid Wasp (*Pteromalus paniceus*) — Wasp larvae feed inside the beetle larva.
- **Eaten by:** Predatory Clerid Beetle (*Thaneroclerus buqueti*) — This beetle hunts and eats drugstore beetle larvae.
- **Eaten by:** [House Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-mouse) (*Mus musculus*) — Mice may eat larvae and adult beetles.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Don't touch insects without asking an adult, as some can bite or sting.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Drugstore Beetle?

Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### What is Drugstore Beetle's wingspan?

4-7 mm

### How big is Drugstore Beetle?

2-3.5 mm

### How long does Drugstore Beetle live?

40-90 days

### What does Drugstore Beetle eat?

These tiny beetles are omnivores, eating almost any dried plant or animal product they find.

### Where is Drugstore Beetle usually found?

Urban areas

### How does Drugstore Beetle hunt?

Foraging

### How many legs does Drugstore Beetle have?

6

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

---

Source: [Drugstore Beetle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/drugstore-beetle)