Cigarette beetle

• Adults:
  • about 3mm long
  • light brown to shining red protective outer layer
  • outer layer is finely punctured and covered with very short hairs
  • heads are bent down, giving a hunched appearance
  • can fly around 1km; dispersal (spread) is assisted by wind.
• Oval, whitish eggs laid in and around food.
• Mature larvae:
  • about 4mm long
  • curved and hairy
  • sensitive to light
  • pupate in silken cocoons covered with bits of food.
• See more images:
  • Pests and diseases image library (PaDIL)
  • Additional cigarette beetle images.

Widespread in Queensland.

• Tobacco and related products
• Foodstuffs like cereals or flour
• Compressed fibre boards
• Wooden ornaments
• Ponga (New Zealand tree ferns Cyathea species and Dicksonia sclerosa)

• Although common in Queensland, the cigarette beetle is not a major pest.
• Attacks stored products and is often found in pantry items such as breakfast cereals, dog biscuits and paprika.
• Attacks buildings or ornaments, particularly some compressed fibre boards and ponga.
• Larvae cause most of the damage.
• Small circular holes about 2mm in diameter left as adults emerge through covering materials.

• Short life cycle. 5–15 weeks.
• Adults are active all year.

• Improved building practices for timber constructions have reduced the risk of attack and reports of damage.
• Obtain advice from pest control professionals to manage infestations in compressed fibre boards.
• Use compressed fibre boards that are treated with insecticides during manufacture.
• Paint or varnish all surfaces of untreated, insect-free, at-risk materials to prevent infestation.
• Disinfect ponga ornaments by deep freezing for a few days. Prevent further attacks by thoroughly coating ornaments with clear varnish.

• Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA)
• Edde, P. 2019, Biology, Ecology, and Control of Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae): A Review, Journal of Economic Entomology, 112(3):1011–1031, viewed July 2023.
• Peters, BC, King, J, Wylie, FR. 1996, Pests of timber in Queensland, Queensland Forestry Research Institute, Brisbane.