Anobiinae

Anobiinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Ptinidae (formerly known as Anobiidae). It comprises many genera of wood-boring beetles, including the well-known Anobium, and several species commonly named furniture beetles or death-watch beetles. The group is distributed worldwide, with the greatest diversity in temperate regions.

Adults of Anobiinae are typically small to medium-sized, oval or cylindrical, often brown to reddish-brown. The larvae are white, legless grubs that develop inside dry or seasoned wood, where they bore feeding tunnels that weaken timber and create dust-like frass.

Most members of Anobiinae are saproxylic, relying on dead or decaying wood, but several species are opportunistic pests of human-made wooden structures and artifacts. Eggs are laid in cracks, joints, or under bark; larvae can take months to years to complete development, depending on species and environmental conditions, particularly moisture content of the wood. Emergent adults may live for a short period, mainly to mate and disperse.

Economic importance: Anobiinae includes several well-known pest species, notably Anobium punctatum, the common furniture beetle, and Xestobium rufovillosum, the death-watch beetle. Infestations are a concern in old houses, timber buildings, furniture, museums, and boats, and control relies on moisture reduction, removal of infested material, and, where appropriate, permitted insecticidal or heat treatments.

Taxonomy: The placement of Anobiinae and related groups has changed with revisions in Ptinidae; some sources previously treated Anobiinae as a separate family, Anobiidae.