This penetration process leads to severe damage to the date seeds and huge economic and crop loss.

The date stone beetle has very similar characteristics with Callosobruchus chinensis in respect to behavior and habitat.

The date stone beetle uses the haplodiploid sex-determination system and inbred mating is very common.

High-relatedness within C. dactyliperda galleries contributes to its high reproductive success and rapid population growth, which is crucial in its short-lived breeding site.

Due to the date fruits being traded for consumption and the distribution of palm seeds for horticultural reasons, C. dactyliperda can be found in most subtropical and temperate zones.

[2] Adults of the species are reddish-brown and 1.8–2.3 mm (0.07–0.09 in) long, with a convex shape and hairs on the dorsal surface.

They chew a round hole into green unripe dates, causing the fruit to drop 1 or 2 days later.

[4] A single date seed was found to be a sufficient food supply for a brood, and in laboratory settings, supports the development and maturation of up to 70 to 80 beetles.

The beetle then tunnels through the path of least resistance, causing the penetration of the seed to occur at the proximal end of the distal groove.

Because the eggs are laid in organic substances, care is required to prevent fungal or bacterial growth.

Often, the beetle infests the date palm seeds after the pericarp has already been consumed by other animals, such as rodents.

[2] The survival of the C. dactyliperda female and its brood depends on the extent of exposure to gastrointestinal liquids, such as saliva, gastric acid, and intestinal fluids.

Some advantages to stay in the natal patch include minimizing predating risk,[10] avoiding spending time to look for new sites[11] and mates,[12] and potential help from relatives to raise the young.

[9] When a flying unfertilized female reaches a target such as a date stone, sweet almond, betel nut, nutmeg, cinnamon bark[15] or a button made from vegetable ivory, (hence the name "button beetle"), she bores a hole in it and excavates a chamber.

The adult female beetle chews a round hole, which is approximately 1 mm in diameter, in the date seed, and forms a cavity, where she lays her eggs.

Adult males are unable to penetrate the date stone and remain outside until a hole is formed.

[6] If the female is unfertilized, her first generation will include only males, and the breeding process will continue after she mates with one of her sons.

[9] The greater reproductive success of inbred females allows the colony to grow rapidly, especially in early stages of development, a characteristic that would be important in unstable environments where high-quality breeding sites are available for a short season, which is common in the species.

[18] A study from June to October 1975 at Afiqim (Jordan Valley) in a date palm grove found that fruit drop from C. dactyliperda mainly occurred in late July and resulted in a 30-40% yield loss.

C. dactyliperda is abundant in the Jordan valley but its populations in the southern desert of Israel are very low, causing no fruit drop in that region.