Bug FAQAfrican powderpost beetle
Lyctus africanus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Bostrichidae
Source: Wikipedia
Adult African powderpost beetles are reddish-brown and only 3 to 5 mm long, with males showing tiny hairs on the rear edge of the abdomen. The larvae eat seasoned hardwoods such as oak or mahogany, turning the wood into fine powdery frass and can severely weaken wood over time.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males have distinctive apical hairs on the rear margin of their abdominal segment.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults are small, measuring 3 to 5 mm in length and are reddish-brown in color.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Visible exit holes do not always mean an active infestation; sometimes the problem resolves on its own. They thrive in wood with moisture between 10 % and 20 % (optimal) and need at least 3 % starch; moisture outside 6-30 % is less favorable.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found in hardwood flooring, furniture, tool handles, lumberyards, and other wood items, staying present year-round with peaks in warm months. They prefer seasoned hardwoods that contain enough starch, such as oak and mahogany.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Both male and female beetles have a digestive system specialized for eating wood. Larvae are highly destructive, converting wood into fine, powdery frass.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Their life cycle includes egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. Depending on conditions, development can take from about 2.5 months up to a year or more.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They are present year-round in buildings, with activity increasing during warmer months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: South Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How do I get rid of African powderpost beetles?
Check wood moisture and starch levels, keep wood drier than 10 % and replace heavily infested pieces; remember that exit holes alone may not indicate a current problem.
Source: Wikipedia
What wood does Lyctus africanus prefer?
It targets seasoned hardwoods like oak and mahogany that contain enough starch for its larvae.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Bostrichidae)
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Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyctus_africanus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.