Size
1/8”
Color
Reddish-brown
Description
The Shiny Spider Beetle is a small, reddish-brown beetle with long legs and a shiny, rotund body. It prefers to live in dark, damp locations and hides during the day, coming out at night to scavenge for food. It eats a wide variety of food sources, including stored pantry foods, clothing, books, feathers, leather, dead insects, animal waste, and old wood and may also be found living in wall spaces, attics, and bird or rodent nests.
Female Shiny Spider Beetles lay their eggs in the food source they are living in. They lay fewer eggs than other species of beetles and the life cycle takes about 10 months, longer than most other beetle species. But because it hides so well, when it is discovered it may have gone undetected long enough to multiply.
Control Advice
Inspect foods carefully and store new dry food goods in airtight containers. Remove infested food and vacuum food storage area thoroughly. Use sticky traps to catch beetles crawling out from wall or attic nesting sites.
Active Seasons
The Shiny Spider Beetle may be active all year.