Bug FAQSmooth Spider Beetle
Gibbium aequinoctiale · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Ptinidae
Source: ask.extension.org
Smooth spider beetles are tiny beetles with long legs, long antennae and an underslung head that make them look like small spiders. They feed on almost any organic material, so they often infest stored grains, beans, dried foods and can damage pantry items; removing the food source or treating the area with a residual insecticide is the best way to eliminate them.
Source: ask.extension.org
How to recognize it
Tiny beetles with long legs, long antennae and an underslung head that give them a spider-like look.
Source: ask.extension.org
Is it a pest in the house?
It can live on almost any organic matter, making it a common pest in stored food areas. In bathrooms it may be attracted to damp spots that foster mold.
Source: ask.extension.org
Does it bite or sting?
The beetles do not bite or sting people; they are only a nuisance when they appear in numbers.
Source: ask.extension.org
What it eats
It will eat plant material, animal matter, fungi and any organic debris, including stored grains and dried foods.
Source: ask.extension.org
Lookalikes
They are often reported worldwide as Gibbium psylloides because of their spider-like look.
Source: Wikipedia, ask.extension.org
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 22 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New York, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, District of Columbia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How do I get rid of smooth spider beetles?
Locate and remove the food source they are feeding on, and if that fails, apply a residual insecticide to the affected areas.
Source: ask.extension.org
What do smooth spider beetles look like?
They are tiny beetles with long legs, long antennae and an underslung head that make them resemble small spiders.
Source: ask.extension.org
Do they bite or sting?
No, they do not bite or sting people; they are only a nuisance.
Source: ask.extension.org
Same family (Ptinidae)
Sources
- ask.extension.org: https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=832102
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbium_aequinoctiale
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 2026-10-23.