Furniture Beetle

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Anobium punctatum: //əˈnoʊ.bi.əm pʌŋkˈteɪ.təm//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Summary

Anobium punctatum, or the common furniture beetle, is a woodboring beetle distributed widely across the world. It primarily damages seasoned sapwood by boring into it as larvae, with identifiable exit holes left by emerging adults.

Physical Characteristics

Adults measure 2.5–6 mm in length with brown ellipsoidal bodies and a prothorax resembling a monk's cowl.

Identification Tips

Can be distinguished from drugstore and cigarette beetles by their lack of distinctive antennae and darker prothorax.

Habitat

Adventive and widespread, especially in regions with high air humidity, such as coastal areas.

Distribution

Cosmopolitan, originally from the Palaearctic; present in North America since at least 1865.

Diet

Larvae bore in wood and feed upon it, consuming the starchy parts of the wood grain.

Life Cycle

Life cycle spans 1-3 years, with larvae spending 3-4 years actively boring through wood.

Reproduction

Females lay eggs in slits or crevices in wood. Each egg hatches into a creamy white larva.

Ecosystem Role

Woodboring species that can damage structural timbers and furniture materials.

Economic Impact

Infestations can weaken structures and damage woodwork, leading to costly repairs.

Similar Taxa

• Drugstore beetle
• Cigarette beetle

Misconceptions

Often confused with similar-looking beetles, leading to misidentification.

Tags

• woodboring beetles
• pests
• Anobium punctatum
• furniture damage
• structural wood