Other information about pantry beetles online:

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7452.html#IDENTIFICATION

And take a look at this PDF file

If you don't know what's that bug, and it's crawling in your pantry, chances are that you have some form of pantry beetles!

Larder Beetle
(06/12/2006) I don't Believe I just scanned a bug.
I think this picture is smaller and better than the one I just sent you with my camera. He was quite cooperative when I asked him to hop up onto my scanner. He first appeared about 2 weeks ago in my laundry room and quite likes the cat's food. Someone told me that he probabally came in with the food from the supermarket but I've inspected the food and haven't found any more in there (I thought if it came in with the food there would be more in the bag). He's about 1 cm long. I've gone through your archives and can't seem to locate it. (I'm colour blind and am not sure if his stripe is orange, yellow or grey). Please let me know who he is.
Thanks
Chris



Hi Chris,
This is a Larder Beetle, Dermestes lardarius. It is one of the Dermestid Pantry Beetles that infests stored grain products. There is grain in cat food.

Merchant Grain Beetles or Sawtooth Grain Beetles
(05/31/2006) Mastic Beach beetles
I sent you some pictures of the tiny beetles we have last week but it was from an email account I've been having problems with. I haven't seen them posted nor did I get a reply so I'm sending you them again from an email account I know works. I've been through all of the beetle and ant pages and nothing posted looks like these creatures. Photos are all of dead bugs, the live ones won't pose for me: IMGA0981 - several on the handle of a plastic knife; IMGA0989 - best I could do for a closeup of the head area
Thanks for your help.
Jeff
nevermind searching
I found the bug on another site, it's as follows: Sawtoothed Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis): The Sawtoothed grain beetle is another very common pantry pest. It does not feed on intact whole grains, but feeds on many processed food products such as breakfast food, bran, dried fruits, nuts, sugar, chocolate and macaroni. It is especially fond of oatmeal and birdseed. These flat beetles can even get into sealed boxes and packages of food. Adults are nearly 1/4-inch long, slender, brownish-red and active. Their name comes from the six saw-like teeth on either side of the thorax behind the head. After finding a potential food, the female lays white, shiny eggs that hatch into yellowish-white larvae. There can be as many as seven generations each year, but sawtoothed grain beetles often stop breeding in the winter, unless buildings are heated and moisture is sufficient. Adults are very long lived and remain active in the winter. The habits and traits are a perfect description and I think the source is the food we get for our parrot. Here's the link to the other site and a copy of the photo. Between my closeup and the description I think I have a match.



Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the information, and sorry we have been slow, but we could literally spend 24 hours a day answering letters, which is impossible. There is another closely related species, the Merchant Grain Beetle, Oryzaephilus mercator, that looks very similar. According to Hogue: "Its distinguishing feature is a small swelling on the head behind the eye which is lacking in O. surinamensis." Your closeup seems to indicate this swelling. We favor the Merchant Grain Beetle.

Spider Beetle
(05/20/2006) Help with this one
I know my bug isn't glamorous like a Luna Moth but I am really concerned about this thing and if somehow, not seeing any for 3 years, it has followed me from Chicago to New York. I sent a message a little over a week ago with a pic that wasn't that clear. Hopefully these are better. He is pretty small so it is tough to get a good close up focus.



This is a Mezium Spider Beetle. They are pests in stored grain products.

Indian Meal Moth
(03/19/2006) kitchen moths
These things have been around my kitchen for months and I can't figure out what they are or how to get rid of them. Amazingly enough, I couldn't find any photos of them on your site. Any idea what it is?
Steve



Hi Steve,
We published our first column in 1999, and we have been answering this question since the first year. It is even a surprise to us though, that this is the first ever photo we have received of a Meal Moth or Cereal Moth. Your photo depicts the Indian Meal Moth, Plodia interpunctella. You must have an infestation in some grain product including pasta, corn meal, rice, oat meal or even pet food. The larvae are the destructive phase and they are always found in a mass of silken webbing. Clean out the pantry and thank you so much for sending a photo.

Anthrenus Carpet Beetles
(02/16/2006) mystery beetle
Greetings!
Can you please identify the bug in the attached photo? It appears to be some type of beetle. Actual size is just under 1/8 of an inch long. It's very slow moving, and will sit motionless for long periods. Coloring consists of alternating gray and black bands. I live in Northern New Jersey, and this bug was found indoors in February. I've seen this kind of bug occasionally all my life, always indoors, and always just sitting motionless. I have no idea what they eat. They're never around in large numbers, but I'll see three or four throughout the year, in various parts of the house. They are not associated with the kitchen, or anyplace else where there's food. Thanks! I hope you can tell me what this is.
Don Riemer



Hi Don,
This is an Anthrenus Carpet Beetle, one of the Dermestids. Here is what Charles Hogue has to say: "These are the common Carpet Beetles. The adults have conspicuous variegated patterns of red, white, or black splotches on the back. The larvae are stout and less than three times as long as they are wide; they have hairs along the body that are generally stiff and erect, and there are two tufts at the rear end. These beetles are hated by entomologists because they often destroy collections of dry insect specimens."

(02/13/2006) micro beetle
thanks for the past questions. i got a new bug for you.. whats this tiny micro beetle.
Charles



Hi Charles,
We thought this was a species of Carpet Beetle, and we have seen them on our squash blossoms. We checked with Eric Eaton and here is his response. "Ah, a carpet beetle in the genus Anthrenus! Please keep it away from my insect collection:-) You are correct that, outdoors, many species in the genus pollinate flowers in their search for pollen to eat. Eric" The larvae are destructive to collections and natural fibers.

Mezium Spider Beetle
(02/05/2006) What's This Bug
Hi.
This bug was found in the dish drainer (where it drowned) in an apartment in Brooklyn, NY. With the bed bug scare here, I want to identify it. It sort of looks like an engorged flea.
Thanks
J



Hi J.,
You are not in danger of being bitten by the Mezium Spider Beetle. These household pests infest stored grain and have a virtually worldwide distribution.

Spider Beetle in Nursery!!!
(01/19/2006) Bed Bug or Flea?
My wife found this in our newborn twins' nursery. We live in NYC and do not have pets. Very rarely have we gone out because it is cold out! Threw out the day bed and sanitized the nursery this morning. We thought it was a bed bug but it doesn't have a head and the legs are long. Could it be a flea although it seems large? Definitely not a lady bug. It has long legs, no distinguishable head. It is flat along the sides. Can't see if it has pincers. What do you all think?
Regards,
Jeffrey Hwang



Hi Jeffrey,
This is a wonderful image of a Spider Beetle in the genus Mezium. They are common household pests that infest grain products. It is harmless to your twins.

Pantry Beetle Larvae
(01/04/2006) Help Please!!
Hi,
I have been finding these bugs in my pantry (mostly in dry pasta and flour) and they must relocate!!!! I have found one in an empty bowl cupboard and one in the soap dish in the bathroom. I find only one at a time (not in groups), sometimes live and some dried up or skins. The image is scanned and enlarged about 100 times; actual size is about the size of a grain of rice.
Thank-you so very much!!!
Amy
Canada



Hi Amy,
You have Dermestid Pantry Beetle Larvae, a common household pest that infest stored grain products. The best remedy is to toss out all perishables in the pantry and stock anew, keeping only what you can use in a short period of time.

Weevil
(12/26/2005) Bug??
We found this bug (.05 cm) in the carpet few days ago and today we found a lot more. There is any danger (there is a little boy, playing around) and, or were there usually come from. Thanks so much.
Daniel Correa
Miami



Hi Daniel,
This is some type of Weevil. They will not harm your little boy. They might be infesting stored grain products in your pantry and they sometimes infest pet food.

Grain Weevil
(12/21/2005) Bug Identification !
Hi there!
I'm Heather from Southern California, I recently have been finding lots of bugs all over my tiles and carpet area... They crawl really slow, and when touched or blown agaisnt , tuck there legs in. The pictures that i took are of the bugs on a 12inx12in tiles. If you could help me identify the bugs and let me know where they came from that would be great!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Heather



Hi Heather,
This is a Grain Weevil, a type of Pantry Beetle. We are guessing they are infesting some stored food, possibly pet food or other flour product in your kitchen.

Spider Beetle
(10/03/2005) Hi,
I have found these guys a couple of times in my bathroom and was wondering what they were.
Sebastian Sparenga



Hi Sebastian,
What a detailed photo of a Spider Beetle from the genus Mezium. They are household pests. These tiny beetles will infest grain as well as exotic substances like cayenne, tobacco and opium. We doubt that you have an opium stash in your bathroom, but perhaps they are feasting on pet food, or shudder, the dead remains of an animal in the wall. Occasionally they will even eat woolens and other non-synthetic fibers.

Spider Beetle
(08/10/2005) Last resort
I have been a faithful, daily reader for some time now and really enjoy your website.  I have also been trying to identify these little critters but can’t seem to find them on your website.  I live in St. Louis, they like my bathroom and at any given time there are 3 or 4 of them hanging around.  They appear to have only 6 legs but are the size of a mite, maybe 2 mm.  Please tell me they are nice bugs. They are so cute I don’t have to heart to kick them out.
Teresa Spitz
St. Louis, MO



Hi Teresa,
Granted, Spider Beetles in the genus Mezium are cute, but they are nonetheless, household pests. These tiny beetles will infest grain as well as exotic substances like cayenne, tobacco and opium. We doubt that you have an opium stash in your bathroom, but perhaps they are feasting on pet food, or shudder, the dead remains of an animal in the wall. Occasionally they will even eat woolens and other non-synthetic fibers. You could have found images of Spider Beetles from previous readers on our Pantry Beetle page.

Carpet Beetle
(06/24/2005) gnat or what?
Can you identify the pesty, tiny, flying insect in the attached picture?  Is it some type of gnat?  Our house has been invaded by these bothersome creatures.  They don't seem to bite, but like to fly around my face and the lamps. It is smaller than the lead of the pencil in the picture.  It has stripes on the top side is is solid dark grayish color on the underside.  Thank you for any help you can give us.
Kathe



Hi Kathe,
You have an infestation of Dermestid Beetles, probably one of the Anthrenus Carpet Beetles. These miniscule beetles are very destructive to museum collections including insect collections.

Spider Beetles and Larva
(06/15/2005) Please identify these bugs!
Hello Again,
I am very anxious to ask you what are the bugs that I've attached. For me, but I am almost too upset to go into the full story of how and how many of these bugs I've found in my NYC apartment. I fear that they may be bad for my health. Can you please help me identify, or tell me what they are not. No one's been able to help me.
Sincerely,
Russell Cowans



Hi Russell,
You have Spider Beetles, Mezium species. According to the Audubon Guide: "These minute, pear-shaped beetles superficially resemble spiders because of their long, thin legs and long threadlike antennae. Most are brownish and less than 1/4 inch long. ... Both adults and their C-shaped larvae are scavengers, feeding on dried organic matter, including wook, museum specimens, desiccated animals,l dung, plants, stored seeds, and dried fruits. ... Continuous generations as long as food remains available." So, you had better find the food source. They will not harm you except for your sanity. Good luck.

Hello, It was sure good to hear back from you. I have one question though; do you really think the larvae in the picture is that of the beatle. Dare I say it; after moving into my brothers room, a room which was not clean out for some time-in the bottom corners of a very warm closet, in a dust collection I found scores of shed skin and living larvae. I would come to find this scene in various spots of my house. One area turned up the larvae always in a much smaller state-the bathroom, in particular; by the cat litter. I decided to examine the cat food box (newly bought from the local store) remembering what I read about meal worms etc. I turned over an entire box into my bath tub so that the white background would allow for easy detection of critters, I wasn't completely surprised to see that out (along with the food) came baby larvae, fast movers, but poor on slick surfaces like a tub. Also, this would be the first time I came across black beatle like bugs. I wondered was the larvae that of the beatles and began wondering if they were spread by my cat! Online, the closet pictures to the black beatles I found and their larvae was a name of Tenebrio beatle and grain beatles? I wondered if I was dealing with two different bugs because, the red little guys I found long after the larvae. Around the time I found the attached picture, this is taken beneath my window sill, the red dots are too small for me to discern any recognizable features, only that I never found them moving always dead or still and they've shown up twice. I don't know what they are/were. Funny, I moved into the living room onto a beach chair to get some sanity, I'm pretty sure they're back by now.
Russell C

Grain Weevils
(06/02/2005) Tiny Black Bug pics on a dime...
Great website, wonderfull resource! We just moved into a house this week I have no idea what these are, but I found about 10 of them around my window this morning lying around barely moving.
Hope you can help,
jesse



Hi Jesse,
This appears to be some species of Grain Weevil, a type of Pantry Beetle. They infest stored grain products. It is possible they were somehow left behind when the previous tenant vacated. Without a food source, they are trying to get outside and are dying.

Superworm, not Giant Mealworm
(05/16/2005) what is this? Can you tell us about our adopted caterpillar, Pretty Legs? What is she? What does she eat? We found her in our house. Her front legs hurt when she crawls on you. My homeschooled 6 year old daughter is very curious about her. How soon should we release her? Thanks for you help!
Julie



Hi Julie,
We knew this was not a caterpillar, and most probably some type of beetle larva, but we checked in with Eric Eaton for more clarification. Here is his opinion: "The larva here looks like a giant mealworm, Zophobas spp, but I could be wrong.  Most likely something in the Tenebrionidae." So, chances are some stored grain product has some of your visitors siblings munching away. Here is a site on Raising Your Own Insects that will provide additional information.

Update (07/02/2007) Correcting an entry for Giant Mealworm
I wanted to let you know that it is not a Giant Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) but actually a Superworm (Zophobas morio).  I feed them to my bearded dragon every day!  You can tell because they have a dark tail and head whereas Mealworms (regular and giant) are fairly uniform in color.  This also explains why the woman said it hurt when the worm crawled on her! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Superworm
http://www.superwormfarm.com /page3.htm
Naomi

Larder Beetle
(04/04/2005) Help, gross bugs
I'm hoping you can identify these two bugs for me. The small brown and tan ones are suddenly everywhere in my house, but mostly in my kitchen drawers and in the bathtub. The black and red ones are just mean looking, and these two were found dead in the bathtub, although I have seen them around other areas of the house. We live in an old farmhouse, and am hoping you are not going to tell me they are eating my house!!
Paula
Stockton, IL



Hi Paula,
Your small beetle is a type of Pantry Beetle, but we will write to Eric Eaton for more information. He just got back and writes: "The other is the larder beetle, Dermestes lardarius, a frequent pest of stored, dried meat if I recall correctly."

Wonderful. Thank you. We just found a bunch of cat food that had been pushed under the microwave cabinet, so we are going to clean that up along with getting rid of some "trophys" that my sons and husbands have hanging, hopefully that will take care of the problem. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly!
Paula

Carpet Beetle Larva
(04/04/2005) would appreciate info on this bug
Hi,
I've been finding about 4 of these critters a week under my bed for a few years.  On a couple of occasions, I've found them where I work, so they may be parasitic, and living off of me.  The pictures show one 3 mm long by 1.5 mm wide, which is as big as they get.  On three very rare occasions I've seen one (of a different sex, I imagine) which is twice as long, less round, and more conical, and with long hairs on its tail. All are brown on top, tan on the bottom, with 2 rows of legs, about 20 legs each.
They are very inactive, and quite robust, being able to survive 24 hours in the freezer, or 2 weeks without food. I've made a short movie that shows one using it's many legs to flip over, and run away.  It's in Real Player format, and can be found on the web at http://www.angelfire.com/scary/redcom/bug.rm
Here are four pictures, next to a penny, with the last picture being of the rarer sex. Flipped over so can see legs underneath. Diff sex, looks smaller coz of camera distance, but is twice as long, conical, and with hairs on tail
Thx in advance for your help.
Luis.



Hi Luis,
Only one of your photos arrived, actually four copies of the same image. Based more on your description than your blurry photo, it seems you have Carpet Beetle larvae

Attagenus Carpet Beetles
(04/02/2005) ew gross! help!
Hi-
Please help: we have wormy, larva-y, crawly things in our apartment. They are on our bed covers, under them, on our drapes, and on our keyboards. I finally saw some crawling on the ceiling. I spotted on near a hole in the ceiling. We live in Brooklyn, NY, in the top floor apartment with drop-down ceiling right under the attic. There are lots of cracks and holes for them to crawl out of the ceiling. They are yellow-ish in color with dark heads and ends. At the back end, there are 2-3 long attenae. They have many many tiny legs (centipede-ish). They are very small-- the larger ones are only a few millimeters long, the small ones are super tiny. I spotted a small black beetle-type bug a few days ago, which I've never seen before in this apt. But, only one, so I don't know if the two are related... We've lived here for over a year and a half and have never had bug problems before. Are these bugs beetle larvae? Can you identify them from the below pics? Any tips on getting rid of them? Please help!
Thanks so much,
Angela in Brooklyn



Hi Angela,
You have Dermestid Carpet Beetles, probably genus Attagenus. Adults are shiny solid black or brown beetles. Larvae are slender with long hairs at the end of the abdomen. You first need to find the source of the infestation and then seek profesional help.

Carpet Beetles
(03/14/2005)
I need help identifying a bug please The bug in the attached photo hitch hiked a ride into my home on a cowhide drum that appears to be from Africa.  So far it doesn't seem to have spread anywhere except the hyde on the drum.  Should I be worried? Thanks for your help,
Frank Dottore



Hi Frank,
You should have the cowhide drum professionally dealt with since you have Carpet Beetles, a type of Dermestid Beetle. They will eat wool rugs and all types of animal hide. They are pests in museums where they do serious damage to collections. They might infest other edibles in your home.

Spider Beetle
(03/14/2005) house bugs needed to be identified--couldn't find it in your website and others
Dear Sir/Madam,
We have seen these bugs in our home for two years.  We live in an one family house.  They seem to come down from the attic above.  First we spotted them in the light-cover on our ceiling.  We cover our ceiling lights with milky-colored plastic cover.  The bodies of these bugs are collected at the bottom of the cover, and some of them were still alive. It seems that they were trying to reach the light, and die there, then fall onto the cover base. Sometimes we see them in our bathtub, trying to get some drink.  They are very small, about 1/8 to 1/6 of an inch in width, not including legs and antenna.  These images were caught while one of them is crawling on the ceiling.  We don't know what these bugs are feeding on.   Could you please help us to identify these bugs?  
Thank you very much!
Sincerely,
Hsiling



Hi Hsiling,
You have Spider Beetles from the genus Mezium. They can be found worldwide where grain is stored. They also feed upon dried remains of animals, woolens and other non-synthetic textiles. You will find more images and information on our Pantry Beetle page.

Dermestid Beetle Larva
(03/14/2005) enquiry
Hi there,
i need your help to identify this bug i found in our kitchen. We have recently become infested with lots of them and need your help so that we can take care of the problem. They are found near our cats food in the kitchen and under the cooker as there are lots of cracks. i have found them where cats hair & dust is the most gathered, can you help?
thanks
Jimmy (UK)



Hi Jimmy,
You have a type of Dermestid Beetle Larva that include many Pantry or Larder Beetles and Carpet Beetles. The larvae can be infesting the cat food as well as eating the cat hair that accumulates in dark corners.

Grain Weevil
(03/11/2005) Found in Dried Noodles with mold!
This was the most descusting thing that Ive seen in quite a while. I was grabing a ramen and noticed a mold bag of noddles that had previously been opened. I took a second look and about One Hundred of these tiny little bugs where cralling and falling out of the bag! What are they and How can I get rid of them.
P.S. I decided NOT to eat the ramen.
Kyle G.
Austin, TX



Hi Kyle,
You found Grain Weevils in your Ramen. They are a type of Pantry Beetle easily identified by the snout. Obviously a female beetle got into the bag and layed eggs. This is just one reason there is an expiration date on foods.

Grain Weevil
(03/10/2005) what is THIS?
HI there, I know winter and spring bring all sorts of things into the home but ive never come across this typ of insect. They have been in every room in my home and im really concerned because i have a 2 week old baby. It looks like it may have a stinger???
Angie, Windham,NH



Clean out the Pantry Angie,
You have a species of Grain Weevil. They won't sting, but they will eat grain products you keep in the kitchen.

Drugstore or Cigarette Beetle
(02/04/2005) what is this? plz help



We weren't sure exactly what type of Pantry Beetle, so we asked Eric Eaton who responded: "Ah, well, these are Anobiidae beetles of some kind, most likely the drugstore beetle or the cigarette beetle.  Was it smoking?  Just kidding:-)  In any event, it is a stored product pest in that family. Thanks for sharing.

Pantry Beetles
(02/06/2005) bugs everywhere now
I’ve had these bugs at least a year.   I thought they might die out with the winter but it was wishful thinking.  They flock to my light fixtures in the kitchen and die there. They are all over my kitchen stove when I get up each morning .  They are attracted to white surfaces.  Now they are also in the bathroom, all over the bathtub, in the sink. Can you please tell me what these things are.  They also get into the flour, cereals, herbs etc. Is there anything I can do to get rid of them?   Thanks!
Lorna



Hi Lorna,
Keeping the pantry free of stored grain products and keeping your spices in tightly sealed containers should help you control your Pantry Beetles.

Spider Beetles
(02/01/2005) bug info
We are having this bug on our carpet for a while. Apparently it's harmless, but since I have a 6-month-old baby, I'd like to check what it is. I've looked at several bug pictures, but could not find it. We also find them sometimes on our bathtub. We live in Boston, MA. It is the size of a small ant, very small. To kill it, I crush it and it sounds like killing a pregnant dog's flea, it cracks. I've put a couple in a completely closed jar a few days ago, and they are still alive. I’m sending some pictures I took. I’d appreciate any kind of information you could provide me.
Thanks a lot
Melina Suarez



Dear Melina
We were not sure exactly what species of beetle you had, though we suspected some type of Pantry Beetle. We contacted a true beetle expert, Eric Eaton who gave us the following reply:
"Some pretty clear images of pretty tiny beetles!  They are spider beetles, Mezium americanum.  It is a stored product pest, so best to inspect the pantry to find the source of the infestation.  This should also include examination of pet food, taxidermy mounts, insect collections, the spice rack....Aside from adding some inadvertent protein to one's diet, though, they are of no real consequence even if you don't ever find them.   Aside, we'd love to have these images submitted to Bugguide.net.  Not even sure this family is represented yet.  
Thanks.
Eric"
Ed. Note: We put Eric in contact with Melina and hopefully she will give permission to post the images on Bugguide.net.

Carpet Beetle Larva
(01/07/2005) what is this bug?
1/4"  in length. many legs on each side. somewhat hairy. has a wormlike head that wiggles around, the back end almost looks like wings creeping out from under a jacket. the jacket is light oolored belt around the midsection and the ends are darker. the tummy of the bug is all light colored. they had no visible antenna or tail (through a magnifying glass)...... 4 of these were on one sons wall in his bedroom. one more was sighted in an upstairs bedroom. they are very slow moving, in a slow wiggle sideways. when dropped in the carpet, they burrow down into it. help. thanks.
Jean



Hi Jean,
You have a Carpet Beetle Larva, one of the Dermestid Beetles which eat wool and other natural fibers as well as doing major damage to museum collections.

Merchant Grain Beetle
(12/22/2004) Help Me Figure Out What This Is...
Hi,
My house has recently had an infestation of a bug that seems to really be a fan of grain. We've found it inside our sealed cereal boxes and also in packets of oatmeal. After putting all of our food in sealed containers the contagion seems to have died down, but now I'm finding some throughout our house. I took a number of digital pictures but this is the only one that came out pretty well. The bug resembles a very tiny ant except it obviously isn't an ant. It is about 2 mm long. Hopefully you can identify it, I've searched many many sites.
Thanks!
Zach



Hi Zach,
It looks like you have a type of Merchant Grain Beetle, possibly Oryzaephilus mercator or the closely related Saw-toothed Grain Beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis. These are very small beetles that are elongated. According to Hogue: "The appearance of these pests in a tightly sealed package of dried food is a source of wonder to housekeepers. Entry is commonly by way of minute imperfections in the seal, but some species may bore through paper and cardboard containers to get at the contents. In other cases, infestations occur when the foods are stored in bulk in railroad cars, warehouses, and at other stops along the processing line."

Dermestid Beetle Larva
(11/14/2004) What is this?
Can you please help me identify this bug. They are found on the walls in my home. They crawl very fast and are very tiny. I took a picture next to a dime.
Thanks for any help
Jon Lindberg



Hi Jon,
You have a Dermestid Beetle larva which include household pests like carpet beetles and larder beetles.

Spider Beetle
(11/09/2004) bugs from home
Please help...
My wife was cleaning the other day and found these two bugs in some dust balls under our bed as well as in our kitchen cabinets and drawers.  We tried looking online but can't find anything that looks like these two guys - we're wondering if they aren't babies of something else.  We're not sure what to do about them or even where they came from. Thanks for your help,
Tom



Hi Tom,
It is difficult to be certain with your photo.

Update: (10/21/2005)
Hi, The insect pictured here copied from WTB is a spider beetle.  It is a bead like insect often associated with rodent infestations.   I managed to find your site when pulling up pictures of “lawn shrimp” to show an employee.
Doug Seemann , BCE
Board Certified Entomologist
San Diego County

Pantry Beetles
(11/08/2004) Pantry Beetles?
I have been finding these around the house occasionally. But today I found 5 in one unopened package and one in another unopened package of saltine crackers. There were some very tiny cracks at the corner of the packages where crackers contacted though much smaller than these bugs. Can you tell me what they are and if they could have came in the packages or if they may have entered through the tiny cracks. They range in size from less than 1/8" to almost 1/4".
Thanks Merle



Yes Merle, you have pantry beetles. It is possible to buy pre-infested food at the market, which is a good reason to check the expiration date. They will quickly spread to other stored foods in your pantry.

Carpet Beetle Larva(10/11/2004) Featherlike bug
Recently, i noticed some tiny bugs on a clean towel that i picked up from our bedroom wardrobe. After that, i examined all the clothes in our bedroom closet and discovered quite a lot of these bugs, most of them on clothes made from wool or cotton. It was almost impossible to get rid of them because they were hardly seen, so we took all of our clothes to the laundry. Their size is from 2 mm up to 7 mm that is 1/12" up to 1/4" inches (so i guess that the guy on the photo must be their... king). Later on that day, i discovered their... kingdom. A knitted carpet of wool, carefully stored in the wardrobe closet but not inspected for a long time, was covered all over of these bugs, so much that you couldn't make out the drawing on it. Can you please tell me, what's that bug and what caused the presence of it? Finally, is there a way to prevent this situation to the future?
Thanks for your help.
Babis, Greece



Dear Babis,
There is a reason your insect was discovered in the carpet. It is the larval form of a Carpet Beetle, Family Dermestidae. By now you must realize that they will destroy a fine wool rug that is being stored. They will also infest wool clothing, get into suede and leather, ande they are responsible for horrific damage to museum collections.

Grain Weevils
(09/01/2004) Beetle Infestation
Hello, I live in Saskatchewan, Canada and have found 40-50 beetles in my house in the past two weeks.  They are everywhere ... upstairs, downstairs, bathrooms, kitchen, bedrooms, etc, etc.  They are approximately 1/4 inch (5-6 mm) in length and  solid black.  We've never seen them fly and believe that they don't have wings.  I've included pictures.  I found one larva.  It was redish-brown and appeared striped (very similar to that of a larder beetle).  Can you help us identify them, tell us why they're moving in, and how to get rid of them.  Thank you so much for any help you can offer. 
Renee.



Hi Renee,
You have one of the Grain Weevils. This is just one type of Pantry Beetle. Grain Weevils infest stored grain products. Weevils belong to the Family Curculionidae.

Carpet Beetle Larva
(08/08/2004) Bug ID
I live in Abilene, TX.  Every now and then I see a few of these bugs on my walls, especially in the bathroom.  I apologize for the poor picture quality, but they're so small that my camera's macro function can't keep up.  They're not more than a millimeter or two in length, generally dark in color, and appear to be fuzzy.  I can't tell how many legs they have because they're too small.  As you can see, it appears that they hatch out of their shell every now and then (on the right). Any identification help you can offer would be appreciated. 
Thanks,
Matt



Hi Matt,
You have a household pest from the genus Dermestes. These beetles include grain beetles as well as pests that destroy museum collections. They will eat many forms of organic matter. You have a photo of a larva as well as a pupal case of Anthrenus sp. (carpet beetle).

Grain Weevils
(07/09/2004) Pointed head bug
Dear bugman,
Perhaps you can identify this bug picture I sketched.  I cannot find a close match anywhere to say that I am sure what it is.  It is a 6 legged bug VERY tiny, about 1/10".  I can tell you that not only did they show up in my kitchen, but there were literally millions in a bag of birdseed!  There were so many that you could hear the bag rustling.  Gross!  I looked in the bag to see millions of these creatures with their pointed heads and antennae.  I hope you could steer me as to what these bugs are.
Thanks!
Tom Bartman
Pottstown, PA



Hi Tom,
Weevils are one type of Pantry Beetle whose shape matches your description and drawing. Weevils are a type of beetle belonging to the family Curculionidae. Grain Weevils belong to the genus Sitophilus and have the head elongated into a snout.

(02/04/2004) What this bug?
Dear Bugman,
First, congrats on a great site!
Attached are two closeups of a bug, possibly a bed bug, found when stripping the sheets from our mattress. (We do this every week, but this is the only 'visitor' we've ever seen). Bug was not dead, but just lying there waving its little legs slowly. Could be because we had had a flea infestation (we>lying there waving its little legs slowly. Could be because we had had a flea infestation (we>sprayed the house and mattress with flea spray last year. Any way here it is...



Dear Richard,
I really wasn't positive, so I sought out a true expert, Weiping at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles.  Here is his answer:
"Thank you very much for your image. This is a Thylodrias larva (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Thylodrias). It is very common in Los Angeles area. I collected it many times in our museum. Hopefully, the information will help you. Sincerely, Weiping"
I can add the Dermestidae is a family of beetles known as Carpet Beetles or Buffalo Bugs.  They are fond of eating skins, furs, woolen materials and dried animal matter, and as a family, are the bane of the entomologist since they can quickly devour a prized insect collection.

Many thanks for the reply - I'm greatly relieved that its only a carpet beetle, and not something worse! Attached the second picture, which was of the head/jaws of the grub.
Best Regards, Richard



Dear Richard,
Thank you for the additional photo. I did find some additional information for you. The beetle Thylodrias contractus does not have the typical form of most Carpet Beetles. It is more elongate with long legs and antennae. I did find an interesting anecdote in Lutz' book Field Book of Insects. He writes: "In 1908 Mrs. Slosson, the author of such charming stories as 'Fishing Jimmy,' published a description of a strange beetle that was eating her collection of insects. She playfully called it 'Ignotus aenigmaticus.' This name was in proper form and by the rules of the game remained the scientific name of the beetle until the discovery was made that the beetle was an introduction from Transcaucasia and had a prior name. It is now Thylodrias contractus. It eats like a Dermestid but does not look like one. The female is wingless and the male has no hind wings." The beetle was originally described in Transcaucasia by Motschulsky.

Thanks again Daniel - two further questions,
1. do you have a picture of an adult?
2. Will my bug make it onto your website?

Hi Richard,
I have your letter ready for posting, but the site is currently down due to heavy traffic.  I was expecting it to be up today, but still no luck.  I know the site is up on the east coast, since I began getting additional letters.  Check in a day or two.  I have a photo of an adult and will attach it.  It was previously identified only generally, but now there is an exact species name.  Thank you for your interest.
Daniel

(01/16/2004) Thylodrias contractus
We live in Columbia,  SC.  The first picture is a beetle type bug I found crawling on the bottom of our entertainment center in our living room tonight.  What is this bug?
The other pic is of a little tiny guy I found on our kitchen floor.  It reminds me of a baby rollie pollie.  It's real tiny.  It's tan in color and looks like it has little hairs all over it's little body and it does have some little legs underneath.  It's real weird though because,  especially if it's turned upside down or on it's side,  it bends it's back backwards almost in half a lot.  What's this bug?
We keep our house so clean,  so these little bugs I am finding are driving me crazy because I don't know where they are coming from and why they're in the house!
Help Bugman!  I found 2 different bugs in our house in one night!  I can't stand it!  Yikes!
Thanks
Seriously Curious

Hi again Bugman,
This is a picture of a little tiny bug I had found in our kitchen last night on the floor that I emailed you about earlier this morning. We live in Columbia, SC.I noticed when looking at this little guy closer under a magnifying glass that he only has 3 pairs of legs (6 legs). He's got such fuzzy little hairs all over him that we thought he had more legs than that. The bottom end of it's body is darker than the rest of it's body and it does not have any legs in that area. It has a segmented body and when it's crawling it's body moves in an accordion style.Hope this helps you more with this little guy. What's this bug?
Thanks Bugman!
Seriously Curious

Dear Seriously Curious,
My better guess on the grub is a pantry or larder beetle, a Dermestid, which infests stored food, hence its appearance in the kitchen. I would put my money on Thylodrias contractus. You have an adult specimen as well as the larval form.

(01/06/2004)
Hello, we live in Tampa, Florida and we have recently been seeing these beetles in our home. They are brownish in color, about 1/16 of an inch in length, are more active at night, can fly and seem to be attracted to light. They also appear to like linens and laundry. I am trying to find their access to the home as they disturb my daughter at night.
Thank you,
Adam Matthews and Family

Dear Adams Family,
Most of the time when small beetles appear in the home, they are some type of pantry beetle. The larvae feed on a wide variety of grain products in the pantry. They can be found in flour, cookies, dog food and pasta among other things. Adults which fly are pollen feeders. Perhaps your fabric softener is attracting them to the clothes. Check your dry goods and try to track down the source of the infestation.

(01/02/2004) HELP! What Are These Bugs?!
Dear Bugman,
HELP!  These bugs are driving me crazy trying to figure out what they are and how to get rid of them!  They seem to be more of a nuisance to me more than anything because I do not know what they are and I cannot find any info on them to be able to know what they are.  I keep finding them on our hardwood floor,  mainly along the baseboards,  in the hallway between our baby's room and our room (which are right across from each other).  We live in Columbia,  SC.
The first time I ever saw one of these bugs was in my baby's baby cereal box,  which I then threw out the whole box after seeing that.  After that I started storing her baby cereals in sealed tupperware containers.  Then,  not too long after that I found a couple of them on the kitchen counter.  But,  I haven't seen any of them anywhere in the kitchen since then.
Ok,  now I cannot find any in the kitchen at all.  I've looked through our cabinets and cereals,  (we do not have any flour),  and I've also looked all through our pantry and cannot find any there either.  The only place I'm finding them now is in the hallway where I told you,  between the two rooms,  closer to the baseboards.  And I have found a couple on the bathroom floor also.  There are a few on the floor in the linen closet,  also closer to the baseboards,  which is between the two bedrooms in the hallway where I keep finding them.  
What really confused my husband and I about these bugs was that one time when we were going through things in our attic,  we got out some older VHS video tapes and a few of these bugs had fallen out of the VHS tapes.  Then my husband continued to keep knocking the video tapes on the floor and they just kept falling out of the tapes.  They were all dead though.  Finally,  after so many of them,  they stopped falling out.
Then when we brought down the box with our Christmas decorations in it,  to our surprise,  there were all these same little bugs (a whole bunch of them) stuck to,  and stuck underneath,  the masking tape on the outside of the box. Yuck!!!   I kept thinking "Why are these things so attracted to the masking tape like this?!" I've attached a few pics of these little creatures that are on my last nerve,  one of the pics being of them stuck on the masking tape.  So, obviously they're in the attic also.
Our neighbors have them in their cupboards every now and then.  They call them Weevils,  but I don't think that's what they are.  I've been looking all over the internet trying to figure out what these things are and I cannot find anything that looks like these bugs.  They are like tiny little brownish beetle looking bugs.
I don't see how they can be Pantry Beetles,  because I haven't been able to find any in the kitchen anywhere. They are driving me crazy,  because everytime I pick up the ones that I keep finding on the floor in the hallway between the bedrooms,  a few hours later a couple more have showed up around the same spots.   And you know,  they don't move unless I nudge them a little.
WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM?!
WHAT ARE THEY?!  AND HOW DO WE GET RID OF THEM?!
PLEASE HELP BUGMAN!
Thank you,
Seriously Curious

Dear Seriously Curious,
You do have Pantry Beetles, but there are many species, some of which are weevils. You might have the Merchant Grain Beetle, Oryzaephilus mercator, or a member of the genus Cathartus. These beetles are especially a problem in the humid South. These are small elongate reddish beetles that feed on grain and dried fruits in the larval stage, but when they mature, they fly away to a new food source, often pollen. You might have large numbers of adults congregating where they think they can get access to the outdoors, hence the attic. Aslo sticky tape will trap them like fly paper. The larvae will also eat dried pet food or even a forgotten box of cookies in some seldom used closet. Could someone in the house be hiding (hoarding) food and have forgotten it? If they are really that plentiful, you might want to fumigate, though we believe that could do more harm than good.

(11/13/2003) Yellow-green worm
Dear What's That Bug,
We live out in the country in central Texas (30 minutes northeast of College
Station). When I went to change the sheets on my extra bed last night, I
discovered HUNDREDS of tiny yellow-green worms that had reproduced there
since I last changed the sheets (1-2 months ago). They were about about an
inch long (inch worm?). We hang our sheets outside in a wooded area and are assuming they came in with the sheets and multiplied like crazy. Do you know what they are. There were little caccoons in the bed folds, pillows, etc. Could they still be in the mattress!?! Being a city girl myself, I've adapted to the wide variety of spiders and roaches surrounding our house, but this has made me reach my limit! Your help would be greatly appreciated. What a great service you have!
Thanks!
Caren George

Dear Caren,
I must say, this is confusing.  What you are calling worms are probably the larval form of some insect.  Two common household pests that will eat organic matter, including cotton, are carpet beetles and clothing moths, but neither have larvae that are yellow green.  You also didn't state that the sheets had been damaged in any way, so I am eliminating them as possible culprits.  There is no way that your free-loaders grew and reproduced between the sheets without eating.  I suppose it is possible that they migrated there in search of a warm place to metamorphose, but that still doesn't give me a clue as to what they might be.  I will continue to research and hopefully get back to you when I discover something.  Additionally, Inchworms are actually the caterpillars of a group of moths known as geometrids, and they get their name from their curious method of locomotion which has the
appearance of measuring.
Daniel

Mystery Solved
Dear Bugman,
We came home last night to more little worms (only a handful this
time)--even though we bleached and washed the sheets and cleaned the room completely. We tore down the bed and found the nasty culprit. A storage bin of cat food my husband had put under the bed. It was COMPLETELY webbed and gross and the bin was full of little moths. Looked on your site and was able to identify Indian Meal Moths! We emptied the room, cleaned EVERYTHING and put it back together again. I'll write again frantically if that didn't solve the problem! Thank you so much for your service and getting back to me. This city girl needs all the help she can get!
Sincerely,
Caren George

(11/11/2003)
I have very small bugs in my flour products and cereals as well as gummy bears. What are they and how can I get rid of them. I cleaned my pantry and threw out all that was infected and now they are back again within weeks.

Pantry Beetles will infest many types of organic foods in the pantry. They will infest all grain products but will also get into spices and candies. The adult beetles are pollen eaters and it is the grubs that eat the food in the pantry. Though you cleaned out all the infested items, it is possible that some adult beetles remained in the house and reinfested the new food you bought. They will also get into nuts, pastas, flour, noodles, cereals, and on and on. You pretty much need to remove everything and clean thoroughly. It is also possible to buy infested food at the market.

(8/7/2003) ewwww
We keep finding these what look like tiny beetles in our house. I have found maybe 10 over the last week. Tonight I found one in our bed and that freaked me out. I have a picture of the nasty little thing I scanned. The bug is about 1/8 to 1/4 inch at the most. It looks all brownish/black to the naked eye but when I scanned it it looks kind of spotty. I am not sure if they bite. On the scan the bug is split up the middle of it's back, but that's just from when I killed it. No wings that I can see, but kind of a round bulbus butt, and a head the comes not really to a point, more like a triangle with the top cut off where the mouth is. 6 legs, and one set of antenni. I am not sure why they keep coming in our house or where they come from, and I don't know if they bite. I am somewhat bug-phobic, so any answers you can provide could help tremendously!!

I looks like a type of weevil, some species of which attack food in the pantry, which could explain their presence in your house.

Thanks very much. I did a picture search on Google and that's the guy.
We have more weeds than usual close to the kitchen / side entrance so
that also explains them getting within reach of the house too. Thanks
for your help!

Dear What's that Bug,
   I live in Chicago in a two-flat.  My husband and I are moving in two weeks and I'm worried because we have noticed some new bugs appearing in our bathroom.  We have lived here for a year and have never seen these bugs prior to last week.  Now they are showing up every other night in our bathtub, five at a time. They are little tiny black bugs (about 1/4") and they don't move.  I thought they were dead, but upon further inspection I realized that they were just still & when prodded they moved their legs a little.  They didn't look like roaches, but I can't help but panic.  The only other bugs we've ever seen here are silverfish.  Could they be baby silverfish??  So far I've found about 20 of them over the past week, mostly in the bathtub, though one was in the sink, five on the floor and one made it to the kitchen floor (near the sink).  Any words of advice? Anything we can do to keep them from coming with us when we move in 2 weeks?
Thanks, C&J

Dear C&J,
Sounds like pantry beetles which seem to be very plentiful everywhere right now.  clean out the pantry.

I've been searching the web all day trying to identify a bug that I have in my home. I live in Wisconsin and I've been finding litle oval black bugs with a brown strip going vertically across it's back. There are no antennas that i see and you can only see the legs if you tip it over.it's about a 1/2 inch long. the have hard bodies. Please help !
Thanks ,
Christine

Dear Christine,
Everyone has pantry beetles lately.