The adult beetles is about 1/8 inch long and is brown with a dense covering of short yellowish hairs and grooves on the wings. The immature stages are yellowish brown, C-shaped and with a dark head.

(Stegobium paniceum) The adults do not feed, but the larvae attack a variety of food materials, including cereals, flour and meal, spices, and drugs. The larvae can penetrate food packaging. The life cycle lasts 3-7 months.