Drugstore beetle
| Drugstore beetle | |
|---|---|
| Scientific 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 | |
| |
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.
The drugstore beetle is distributed worldwide with higher prevalence in warmer climates. Despite its resemblance to the cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne), this species exhibits some distinct characteristics. 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.