Order: Coleoptera

Family: Lyctidae

 

Powderpost Beetles receive their common name because their larva produces a very fine, powdery substance from the wood which they are infesting. This powdery material is called frass.

 

Description: Adult Powderpost Beetles are small and range is size from 1/8-1/4 inch long. The adults are reddish brown to black in color. The larvae are nearly white.

 

Biology: Newly emerged adults mate and lay eggs on or below the surface of bare wood. The eggs hatch into tiny larvae which bore into wood. They emerge as adults one to five years later and usually during the warmer months. Homeowners are more likely to notice the damage to wood than to notice the beetles because the adults are short-lived and are active mainly at night.

 

Habits: Powderpost Beetles are a wood-boring insect that reduce wood to a fine, flour-like powder. Damage is done by the larvae as they create narrow tunnels in wood as they feed. Infestations are typically discovered after noticing small, round holes in the wood surface. These tiny holes are exit holes where adult beetles have chewed out of the wood after completing their development.