Adults are about ¼ inch long and reddish brown; the body shape is somewhat cylindrical. This species is distinguished from the cigarette beetle by its slender shape and the enlarged segments at the end of the antennae.
Development. Eggs are laid singly in crevices of the food material; hatching is in 12 to 37 days. Larval development is completed in about five months, depending on the temperature. A full-grown larva produces a silken cocoon that is covered with particles from the substrate. This makes cocoons difficult to see in infested material. Adults live about 85 days. There are three or four generations per year.
Habits. The small size of the first-stage larvae enables them to enter openings in packaged foods. Larvae move around searching for access to food material; they can survive for about eight days without food. Infestations are common in houses and are also known to occur in medical drugs, grain, spices, tobacco, leather, and textiles.