![]() An adult female may lay 300 to 400 eggs over her 5–8 month lifespan.Īt the larval stage, they become yellowish-white with slender, cylindrical bodies covered with fine hairs. They have sticky eggs that are cylindrical and are white or colorless. The adult red flour beetles have short-distance flight capabilities. They are either on the surface or deep within the grain, and they quickly run for cover when disturbed. Their wing cases are ridged along the edges, while the head and upper thorax are covered with minute punctures. They have reddish-black eyes and clubbed antennae, with the last three segments gradually widening compared to the preceding segments. Adult red flour beetles are slightly smaller than the confused flour beetle, with a flattish reddish-brown body that is slightly curved on the sides. Mainly found in tropical and sub-tropical countries, the red flour beetle is a stored grain pest for a variety of stored grain products, mainly feeding on maize grains. When your grain or flour is heavily infested, these secretions make the food have a pinkish tinge and encourages the growth of mold. They also release a noxious secretion when laying eggs, resulting in a foul odor, also making the food product unsuitable for consumption. The confused flour beetle is a generalist feeder, whose feeding activities, dead bodies, and fecal pellets are directly linked to food damage and contamination. On the other hand, the larvae develop optimally at a temperature ranging from 89-95☏. Their breeding takes place optimally at a temperature range of 68-98☏, even though it can breed at lower temperatures. The confused flour beetle’s antennae constantly grow in size through time and have four clubs, while a red flour beetle has three. It also has a fairly flat reddish-brown body and they do not fly.Īmong the stored product insects, the confused flour beetle has one of the highest population growth rates, with each female laying between 2 eggs loosely in food over their adulthood. Both are very similar with just the difference in their antennae being the distinguishing factor. Interestingly, the name “confused flour beetle” was coined for the pest, not because of its behavior, but because of the confusion caused by distinguishing it from the red flour beetle. However, they cannot eat whole, undamaged grains, but rather go for the broken grain, grain dusts and other starchy materials, peas, beans, spices, dried plant roots, rice and dried fruits, and yeast. For this, they are common in silos, food warehouses, grocery stores, and homes. The confused flour beetle is a dark-loving pest beetle known for infesting stored flour and grain. Confused Flour Beetle ( Tribolium confusum) ![]() Let’s have a detailed look at each of the flour beetles below. However, telling their difference is only for practical purposes since their control measures are all the same. 3 Types of Flour Beetlesįlour beetles are very similar insects with just a few distinguishing features, such as their antennae, marking the difference between the red and confused flour beetles. Owing to their small size, flour beetles can be hard to spot, but signs of their infestation might include cast skins, dead bodies, fecal pellets, and excretions, resulting in a highly pungent odor from the infested food. For this, flour beetle-contaminated products are not recommended for human consumption. However, they may contaminate foodstuffs in which they are hosted because they lay eggs there while eating. Furthermore, they are not known to spread infections or illnesses and do not damage a home structure or any furnishings. They have mouthparts adapted for chewing, but they do not bite, scratch, sting, nor hurt people, although the red floor beetle might induce some allergic reactions. Apart from cereals and flour, flour beetles also attack beans, spices, pasta, dry pet food, seeds, almond, chocolate, nuts, and dried flowers. Flour beetles have tiny, flat oval bodies of about a tenth of an inch in length.Īlthough native to Asia and Africa, two of the most common flour beetles, the confused and red flour beetles, are extremely prevalent and are a big nuisance in the United States.Īs aforementioned, flour beetles are grain pests, but oddly, they do not feed on whole grains, but rather the dust and processing residues of processed grains. For this, they are common in home pantries, grocery shops, and food warehouses. 6 Tips for Getting Rid of Flour Beetlesįlour beetles are pests that infest grain-based foods like cereals, and flour, and are often found in these items when they are stored.Destructive Flour Beetle (Tribolium destructor).Confused Flour Beetle (Tribolium confusum).
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