damage are dependent on the habits and food requirements of the various beetles 
and on people’s utilization of wood (/299, /302). Infested wood products result 
from susceptible wood being placed in favorable conditions for beetle attack. Some 
of the many beetles that can reinfest seasoned wood have less restrictive require- 
ments than others. Therefore, some beetles occur in structures much more fre- 
quently than others, e.g., Anobiidae, Lyctidae, and Cerambycidae (old house 
borer, Hylotrupes bajulus (L.)) (fig. 108). These three groups of beetles can be 
distinguished easily by characteristics of damage. Group, not species, identification 
is necessary for the proper selection of control measures. Failure to make distinctive 
identifications, or failure to use distinctive common names may lead to inadequate 
or unnecessary control operations (/300). Habit and damage characteristics are 
summarized for the beetles most frequently attacking seasoned wood (table 2). 
Many different beetles with different requirements may occur in the same situation. 
Therefore, key damage identification characteristics are given to distinguish in- 
festations of beetles that cannot reinfest seasoned wood from those that can. In 
addition, guides for inspection of new and existing structures are available to aid 
wood users in damage identification by providing color illustrations of damage by 
various beetles, other insects, and decay organisms, and by giving the incidence of 
each organism both within structures and within the United States (729, 730). For 
the most important beetles infesting seasoned wood, conditions affecting their 
attack and changes in wood processing and use that influence the likelihood of 
infestation are reviewed to suggest the outlook for prevention and control (/302). 
Family Anobiidae 
Deathwatch and Drugstore Beetles 
This family contains about 52 genera and 318 species in the United States. The 
common names “‘deathwatch beetles” and “drugstore beetles” are not useful terms. 
A more acceptable name would be “shield beetles’ because of the way they shield 
themselves, as described below. Adults are of widely diverse sizes and colors, 
fj 
RS 
F-521295 
Figure 108.—These are adults—seldom seen by the 
homeowner—of the three most destructive groups of 
wood-destroying beetles. Left: One of the Lyctus, or 
true powderpost beetles, which attack recently 
seasoned hardwood sapwood. Center: One of the 
anobiid beetles, which are among the most common 
feeders on both hardwoods and softwoods within 
buildings. Right: The old house borer, sometimes 
called a longhorn borer from its antennae, primarily 
attacks softwood framing lumber. 
249 
