Insect of the Month: Drugstore Beetle (Stegobium paniceum)
Drugstore Beetles can cause serious damage to dried food, pet food, books, museum objects, and many other items.
Packages or food items infested with these beetles usually have shot holes where adults have emerged from pupation.
What do drugstore beetles look like?
Adults: Up to 3.2 mm (0.125 inches) long, brown to reddish brown. Similar in appearance to Cigarette beetles but has several rows of pits (striated) on hairy elytra (hardened wings). The last three antennal segments are slightly enlarged and elongated.
Eggs: Not readily visible without magnification. Eggs are slightly oval in shape, whitish in color, satin to glossy sheen, and approximately 0.2-0.5 mm (0.019 inches) long.
Larvae: Creamy white, C- shaped, slightly hairy, with a large distinct head, and three pairs of thoracic legs.
Pupae: Pupal cases whitish; inside a pupal chamber within food material.
What is the drugstore beetle life cycle?
The female drugstore beetle will lay eggs in almost any dry organic substance. Larvae will tunnel through the food substance for about 4-5 months.
The life cycle on average is seven months but can be as short as two months. Several generations can occur per year depending on storage conditions.
Solutions for Drugstore Beetles
Monitoring Guidelines for Drugstore Beetle (Stegobium paniceum)
Click on the image or insect name above to view monitoring guidelines for drugstore beetles. These guideline include details on Description, Lifecycle, Damage and Detection, Corresponding Products, Fun Facts, and more!
Stay tuned
Next week we are going to be sharing a solution Insects Limited offers when dealing with drugstore beetles.
Related Insect and Pheromone Posts
Read more about insects and pheromones in these related posts:
Insect of the Month: Cigarette Beetle (Lasioderma serricorne)
Product of the Month: All Beetle Trap Kit with RTU Gel Cartridge (IL-2750)
The Grey Silverfish: An existing pest in North America and a spreading problem in Europe
Insects Limited, an Insect Pheromone Company
Insects Limited, Inc. researches, tests, develops, manufactures and distributes pheromones and trapping systems for insects in a global marketplace. The highly qualified staff also can assist with consultation, areas of expert witness, training presentations and grant writing.
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