Spider Beetle

Category: OLI
Minimum Life Cycle: Two or three generations per year.
Distribution: Worldwide. 
Biology:
Larvae - Feed on most stored commodities, spices, and cereal products.

beetle

Figure 22. Spider beetle.

Spider Beetle (Ptinus spp.). As the name implies, spider beetles resemble small spiders. These are unusual insects in many ways. The insects are scavengers and indicate poor sanitation or faulty structures, and generally live in accumulated food residues. There are many species that live worldwide. They commonly live in temperate or cold climates and may require cold temperatures to complete their life cycle. They feed on both vegetable and animal material; however, vegetable material appears to be optimum. Spider beetles are often the only insects active in cold buildings (Figure 22).

(Slide and top caption courtesy of Degesch America, Inc.)