2 Bugs That Look Like Cigarette Beetles
Think you found cigarette beetles? These 2 bugs are the ones most often mistaken for them. Each entry below shows how to tell the difference.
How to recognize a real cigarette beetle
- Rounded, humped body with smooth, ungrooved wing covers
- Serrated, saw-like antennae
- Head bent downward so it looks hooded
1. Drugstore Beetle
A small, reddish-brown pantry beetle with rows of fine grooves along its wing covers. It infests dried foods, spices, pet food, and even books and medicines.
How it differs:
- Signature feature: Cigarette Beetles: rounded, humped body with smooth, ungrooved wing covers. Drugstore Beetles: oval, reddish-brown body with lengthwise grooves.
2. Rice Weevil
A small, dark weevil with a long snout and four faint reddish spots on its back. Females chew holes in whole grains such as rice, wheat and corn and lay an egg inside each kernel.
How it differs:
- Signature feature: Cigarette Beetles: rounded, humped body with smooth, ungrooved wing covers. Rice Weevils: long, narrow snout extending from the head.
Side-by-side comparison
| Cigarette Beetle | Drugstore Beetle | Rice Weevil | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Beetles | Beetles | Beetles |
| Scientific name | Lasioderma serricorne | Stegobium paniceum | Sitophilus oryzae |
| Size | 2–3 mm | 2–3.5 mm | 2–3 mm |
| Colors | Brown and Red | Brown and Red | Brown and Red |
| Legs | 6 legs | 6 legs | 6 legs |
| Wings | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bites or stings | No | No | No |
| Risk | Nuisance | Nuisance | Nuisance |
| Key feature | Rounded, humped body with smooth, ungrooved wing covers | Oval, reddish-brown body with lengthwise grooves | Long, narrow snout extending from the head |
Quick identification checklist
- Count the legs. Cigarette Beetles have 6 legs.
- Check for wings. Cigarette Beetles have wings.
- Measure it. Cigarette Beetles are 2–3 mm (up to about 0.12 in).
- Look for the signature feature: rounded, humped body with smooth, ungrooved wing covers.
- Note where you found it. Cigarette Beetles are usually in pantries and stored food and in the kitchen.
When you'll see cigarette beetles
Cigarette Beetles are most active in spring, summer, fall and winter. In spring, overwintering adults become active and many species lay their first eggs. Summer heat speeds up development, so populations can grow quickly. In fall, many bugs look for shelter, and some move toward or into buildings. In winter, activity continues mainly indoors in heated spaces.
Typical places to check: pantry or stored food and kitchen.
About beetles
The cigarette beetle is one of the beetles. Beetles go through complete metamorphosis: egg, larva (grub), pupa and adult. The larval stage often does the most feeding and damage, and it can last from a few weeks to several years depending on the species. Adults protect their flight wings under hard wing covers called elytra, which is why most beetles look armored and meet in a neat line down the back.
Look closely at larvae as well as adults. Grubs in soil, fuzzy larvae in closets and small worms in flour are all beetle larvae, and finding them tells you where the problem is centered.
Are cigarette beetles or their lookalikes dangerous?
- Cigarette Beetle: Cigarette beetles do not bite; they contaminate and damage stored products.
- Drugstore Beetle: Drugstore beetles don't bite or spread disease, but they ruin stored food.
- Rice Weevil: Rice weevils cannot bite people and are not harmful if accidentally eaten, but they spoil grain.
Frequently asked questions
What bug looks like a cigarette beetle?
The closest lookalikes are drugstore beetle and rice weevil.
How can I be sure it's a cigarette beetle?
Look for these features: rounded, humped body with smooth, ungrooved wing covers, serrated, saw-like antennae and head bent downward so it looks hooded.
Are cigarette beetles dangerous?
Cigarette beetles do not bite; they contaminate and damage stored products.