White-marked Spider Beetle - Ptinus fur

Ptinus fur is a small (about 3.5 mm) Spider Beetle. The prothorax is densely covered with pale hairs, while the red brown studded elytra bear white scales looking like four pale white spots. Females are often more rounded and darker.

Often found in association with humans.

All year round.

Scavenges and breeds in dry organic matter. P. fur has been reported as attacking flour and other stored products such as bran and grain. It is also a pest in museums, attacking insect specimens and stuffed birds.

Fairly common in Britain with most records coming from central England and from Wales.

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 14 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.