Drugstore beetle | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Suborder: | Polyphaga |
Family: | Ptinidae |
Subfamily: | Anobiinae |
Tribe: | Stegobiini |
Genus: | Stegobium Motschulsky, 1860 |
Species: | S. paniceum
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Binomial name | |
Stegobium paniceum | |
Synonyms | |
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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 small brown beetle that infests a wide variety of dried plant products, where it is among the most common non-weevils. It is the only living member of the genus Stegobium. It belongs to the family Ptinidae, which also includes the deathwatch beetle, furniture beetle and cigarette beetle. A notable characteristic of this species is the symbiotic relationship the beetles have with a yeast-like fungus which is transmitted from female to larvae through the oviduct.[1]
The drugstore beetle is distributed worldwide with higher prevalence in warmer climates. It 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 lined with grooves running longitudinally along the elytra, whereas the cigarette beetle is smooth.[2]
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