Drugstore beetle
1601520
212991021
2008-05-17T06:03:41Z
124.171.29.37
{{Taxobox
| name = Drugstore beetle
| image = Stegobium.paniceum.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Arthropod]]a
| classis = [[Insect]]a
| ordo = [[Beetle|Coleoptera]]
| familia = [[Anobiidae]]
| genus = ''[[Stegobium]]''
| species = '''''S. paniceum'''''
| binomial = ''Stegobium paniceum''
| binomial_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758
}}
[[Image:Drugstore_beetle_02.jpg|100px|left]]
The '''Drugstore beetle''' (''Stegobium paniceum'') (also known as the '''Bread beetle''' or '''Biscuit beetle''') is a tiny, brown [[beetle]] that can be found infesting a wide variety of products, and is among the commonest non-[[weevil]]s to be found there.
[[Image:Drugstore beetle 03.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Various figures of the beetle]]
They have a worldwide distribution and can be more commonly found in warmer climates. They are similar in appearance to the Cigarette beetle (''[[Lasioderma serricorne]]''), but are slightly larger (adults can be up to 3.5 mm in length). Additionally, Drugstore beetles have antennae ending in 3-segmented clubs, while Cigarette beetles have serrated antennae (notched like teeth of a saw). The Drugstore beetle also has grooves running longitudinally along the [[elytra]], whereas the Cigarette beetle is smooth.
Their larvae are small, white grubs, and they can be distinguished from the grubs of the Cigarette beetle by their shorter hair. The female can lay up to 75 eggs at once, and the larval period lasts up to several months depending on the food source. It is the larvae that are responsible for most of the damage that this species can cause.
As their name suggests, Drugstore beetles have a tendency to feed on pharmalogical products, including prescription drugs. They will also feed on a diverse range of dried foods and spices, as well as hair, leather, books, and museum specimens. They can bore into furniture, and in some cases tin foil or sheets of lead.
The Drugstore beetle lives in obligatory symbiosis with a yeast fungus, which is passed on
to the offspring by covering the eggs with it.
==Pest control==
The most effective method of ridding your home of these pests is to try and discover the source of the infestation.
Once this has been found, efforts can be made in removing the root of the problem - which is usually related to [[bird nest]]s, food and high humidity levels. Therefore steps will have to be taken in removing any birds nest from the premises (if this is the situation then ideally specialist advice should be sought), food residues and any food which has been left open; these steps should be followed by adopting measures to decrease the humidity levels; perhaps by way of a [[dehumidifier]].
Once satisfaction has been reached in removing the main cause of the infestation, the immediate area of the outbreak should be cleaned thoroughly with a vacuum cleaner, paying special attention to small cracks and crevasses; ideally the area should be treated with an effective [[insecticide]], too.
==External links==
{{wikispecies|Stegobium paniceum|Drugstore beetle}}
{{commons|Stegobium paniceum}}
* [http://www.oph-good-housekeeping.com/household-pest-control.html OPH Good Housekeeping - Pest Control]
* [http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/Extension/DiagnosticLab/IDLFS/CigDrugstoreBeetles/CigDrugstoreBeetles.html Cornell Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet]
[[Category:Anobiidae]]
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