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Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles

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Household Pests

Please Identify
December 11, 2009
I have been finding this insect near my kitchen and eating area over the past couple of months. The insect is less than 0.5cm and the pictures are taken with an optical microscope to provide as much detail as possible. Please help in ID this insect.
AD
Jacksonville, Florida

Dear AD,
While the detail of your photos is excellent, sadly, the best identifying features like antennae are not well depicted.  We believe these are Drugstore Beetles, Stegobium paniceum, we are not certain.  Bugguide has some excellent images of Drugstore Beetles, and the description:  “Adult: body cylindrical, uniformly brown to reddish-brown; each elytron with several longitudinal striations bearing short fine hairs; antennae with 3-segmented club (terminal 3 segments elongate and smooth, like “linked sausages”); pronotum widens posteriorly.“  Drugstore Beetles will infest stored foods.

Eric Eaton makes a correction
Daniel:
You are correct about the images not showing the anatomical features needed to be conclusive, and the specimen looks like it has been partially squashed such that it looks flatter than it should and the elytra (wing covers) deformed a bit.  All that said, I would say these are “cigarette beetles,” Lasioderma serricorne.  They are nearly identical to drugstore beetles in their habits, infesting all kinds of dried organic matter.
Eric

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