Drugstore beetle

Drugstore beetle
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Ptinidae
Subfamily: Anobiinae
Tribe: Stegobiini
Genus: Stegobium
Motschulsky, 1860
Species:
S. paniceum
Binomial name
Stegobium paniceum
Synonyms
  • Anobium paniceum Linnaeus, 1758
  • Sitodrepa panicea (Linnaeus, 1758)

The drugstore beetle (Stegobium paniceum), also known as the bread beetle, biscuit beetle, and misnamed as the biscuit weevil (despite not being a weevil), is a tiny, brown beetle. It can be found infesting a wide variety of dried plant products, where it is among the most common non-weevils to be found. It is the only living member of the genus Stegobium. It belongs to the family Ptinidae, which also includes the deathwatch beetle and furniture beetle. A notable characteristic of this species is the symbiotic relationship the beetles have with the yeast they carry, which are transmitted from female to larvae through the oviduct.[1]

The drugstore beetle is distributed worldwide with higher prevalence in warmer climates. The drugstore beetle is commonly confused with the cigarette beetle, as they have a similar size and coloring. Adults possess antennae ending in 3-segmented clubs, while cigarette beetles have serrated (saw-like) antennae. Their bodies are also lined with grooves running longitudinally along the elytra, whereas the cigarette beetle is smooth.[2]

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