Origin:
Possibly unknown, but this beetle is now found throughout the world, and is more common in the western states of the U.S. than the east or southeast.
Biology:
Typical of most flour beetles it attacks the broad range of processed foods of vegetable origin, including meal and flours, pet foods, and other dried materials, seeming to prefer flaky materials. Females can deposit around 400 eggs over a 5-month period, and development from egg to adult takes around 75 days under normal conditions.
Identification:
The adult beetles are slightly larger and wider than the Confused or Red flour beetles, and the male has very distinct enlarged, pointed jaws. The color is dark reddish, and the antennae taper gradually larger from the base to the tip.
Characteristicts Important to Control:
Control of most stored food pest beetles relies on a combination of proper storage of products in cool, dry conditions and if possible in pest-proof containers, sanitation measures to remove or prevent spilled materials and dust accumulations, and monitoring with pheromone traps to determine when adult insect activity may begin in an account or to pinpoint the location of the infestation within a structure. Fumigation with either methyl bromide or aluminum phosphide will kill all stages of the beetles present in food, and ensure food products are pest-free as they go into storage.
