Species Lasioderma serricorne - Cigarette Beetle

Classification · Other Common Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Remarks

?? little beetle - Lasioderma serricorne

Lasioderma serricone - Lasioderma serricorne

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Bostrichoidea (Carpet, Powder-post and Death-watch Beetles)

Family Anobiidae (Death-watch and Spider Beetles)

Subfamily Xyletininae

Genus Lasioderma

Species serricorne (Cigarette Beetle)

Other Common Names

Tobacco Beetle

Size

1.5 - 3 mm

Identification

Following combination will seperate L.serricorne from other species of the genus: Body entirely reddish, hairs on pronotum recumbent, not distinctly parted in middle, elytra with some hairs longer and more erect, anteriour tibiae widened to the end.

Range

cosmopolitan; origin probably is Africa.

Habitat

warehouses and homes

Food

Dry plant matter of any sort, including spices and tobacco.

Remarks

Seperation of the similar (and often confused) storage pests is easy:

Drugstore Beetle (Stegobium paniceum): Antennae with three terminal segments enlarged, elytra with impressed lines;

Cigarette Beetle (Lasioderma serricorne): Antennae with three terminal segments same as preceeding, elytra without impressed lines.

Contributed by Eric R. Eaton on 21 February, 2006 - 2:39pm
Additional contributions by Boris Bueche
Last updated 25 May, 2007 - 10:51am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2010 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.

Printer Friendly Version