Cigarette beetles derive their name from being pests that feed on tobacco leaves, although they are capable of eating many organic substances including books. The beetles will also lay their eggs in books and the larvae that spawn cause damage as they eat their way out of the materials.

Drugstore Beetle- (Stegobium paniceum) - Also referred to as the Bread or Biscuit beetle, about 2mm in length and reddish brown, oblong body covered with fine hairs. This beetle can feed on substances that are poisonous to humans.

When the larva hatch they are approximately 0.5mm in length but can grow up to 5mm long. The larva are usually greyish-white and will eat the pastes in the spines of books and leather book covers.

Mexican Book Beetle – common to the Cigarette beetle, the Mexican Book Beetle in its larvae stage can do the most damage. They will tend eat their way to the spine of the book through the text block. As the larvae matures, it turns into a tiny, ladybug like beetle, which is the about the size of a pinhead, and dark brown or crimson in color. They eat their way through the cover of the book and make exit holes the size of large pinholes in the spine. Once they are out of the book they fly to other volumes, lay eggs, and the cycle repeats itself. The damage to the book is often at the front of the text block and along the spine.