Up to recently, Gibbium psylloides belonged to the Ptinidae family, but Ptinidae have now been included into the Anobiidae family. These inconspicuous insects, which shy away from light, rather thrive in quiet, dark places of warehouses and houses (attics, barns, cellars). Thanks to their smooth, shiny, round-shaped aspect, they are highly characteristic and easily recognisable.
Adults are sometimes mistaken for small spiders, but the difference between them can easily be told thanks to their 3 pairs of legs (Arachnidae have 4 pairs of legs) and to their antennae. 
Gibbium psylloides cannot fly for their elytra are sealed together, and they move around rather slowly. They feed on dry organic debris of plant or animal oroigin. They can cause fairly important damage in fabrics and books, and minor damage in stored foodstuffs. Yet the damage they cause is considered as reaching a lesser extent than the damage caused by related species. They get adapted to cool climates quite easily and they can survive without food for long periods of time; adults can live up to 1 year. Some Hymenoptera belonging to the Bethylidae family can infest their larvae.