Beetle Book Collection
Title: Beetle Book Collection
Year: Unknown
Description: This ancient book is infested with Sauter anobiids. If old books are stored improperly in an environment without good temperature and humidity control, they may become food sources for these beetles. The larvae feed on the paper, creating holes and countless criss-crossing grooves, sometimes causing the book to fragment with large amounts of excrement found among the ruins. The final instar larvae molt near the surface of the book. As the adults emerge, they drill holes of around 1 mm in diameter, causing serious damage to ancient books.
Insect: Sauter anobiid Falsogastrallus sauteri Pic, 1914
Order Coleoptera
Family Ptinidae
Subfamily Anobiinae
Introduction: Sauter anobiids are small beetles, measuring approximately 2 mm. This species produces one generation per year and is a major pest of museums and libraries. The larvae feed on old books and manuscripts, while the adults do not feed at all. The adults are also negatively phototaxic and feign death when disturbed. The females lay eggs in the fissures of books. Once the larvae hatch they burrow into the books and feed.
Photographed by: Zhang Jia-Hao; Let’s Explore Insects in the Home Team
