(Ptinus fur)
Biology:
The herb thief grows up to 4 mm long. The elytra are heavily dotted and have two light transverse bands.
The animals show a pronounced sexual dimorphism, i.e. females and males differ clearly in this species: the males are reddish-brown and have a narrow abdomen, while the females are dark brown in color and have an oval abdomen. The males are good fliers, while the females are flightless.
The beetles are not very sensitive to the cold and can withstand sub-zero temperatures down to around -5 °C for a while. They can also be found outdoors in birds’ nests. The larvae are yellowish white and live in the food substrate.
Like its close relative, the Australian thief beetle(Ptinus tectus), the herb thief is distributed worldwide.
Damage:
Damage is caused by the feeding of the beetles, but above all the larvae in the stored goods. They feed on a wide variety of plant and animal products such as cereals, cereal products, drugs, seeds, feathers, furs, sausage products, etc. The packaging is also damaged when the beetles bore out (flight holes).
