Adult : Oval, covered with small hairs that give a silky, yellowish brown colour, about 3mm long. Adults are strong fliers.

Eggs (up to 100) laid by female near or on the food supply. Larvae are creamy-white, worm-like and slightly smaller than adults. Entire life cycle can be completed in 45-50 days.

A serious pest of dried tobacco either in the stored, bundled form or in cigars, cigarettes, and chewing tobacco, it also feeds on book-bindings and leaves. Larvae can feed on a variety of stored products including grain, cereal products, ginger, raisins, dates, pepper, dried fish, drugs, and seeds. An equally serious pantry or stored grain pest, as the range of food makes them difficult to control. It can infest spices like curry powder, chili powder, paprika, etc. and even feed on pyrethrum powder strong enough to kill cockroaches!