Rust-red Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum
Rust-red flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum, is a key pest of stored grain products such as flour, cereals, meal, crackers, beans, spices, pasta, cake mix, dried pet food, dried flowers, chocolate, nuts, seeds, and even dried museum specimens. It is a small, reddish-brown beetle, which is about 3.5 mm long. These beetles are one of the most important pests of stored products inside the home, food industry and grocery stores.
Image: Adult Rust Red Flour Beetle (Image full credit to USDA, ARS)
Biology of Rust Red four beetle, Tribolium castaneum
Rust Red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum is a small, reddish-brown beetle, about 3-4 mm long. The antenna of Tribolium castaneum is abruptly club like, with the club consisting of 3 segments. Tribolium castaneum has the sides of the thorax almost curved. Adult female lays 400 to 500 clear-white, sticky eggs on food particles, in cracks, or through the meshes of sacks containing food, such as cereal products. Adult females are long-lived, and may survive as long as 2 years.
Image: The larvae of Rust Red Flour Beetle (Image full credit to USDA, ARS)
Eggs hatch in 5 to 12 days into small, brownish-white larvae, which go through 5 to 12 instars, The fully-grown larvae are 4 to 5 mm long, slender, cylindrical, wiry in appearance, and white, tinged yellowish. They can be distinguished from the larvae of other species that are similar in appearance by the prominent, 2-pointed termination of the last body segment. In a warm storehouses and mills, there are 4 or 5 generations annually.
Image: The pupae of Rust Red Flour Beetle (Image full credit to USDA, ARS)
Rust red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum Nature of Damage
These beetles are very common pests infesting many flourmills, warehouses, and grocery stores. Both adults and larvae feed on grain dust and broken kernels. They also feed upon grain, beans, dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, and other foods in the house. Flour beetles attack milled grain products such as flour and cereals. These beetles often infested flour and can build up into large populations on food accumulations in cabinet cracks and crevices and in furniture. They do not bite or sting humans or spread disease.
Image: Adult Rust Red Flour Beetle (Image full credit to USDA, ARS)
Pheromone for Tribolium castaneum, Rust-red Flour Beetle
Russell IPM manufactures and supplies pheromone lures traps and complete monitoring systems for Rust-red flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Pheromone trap provides early warning and alters the pest controller before Tribolium infestation become serious. Russell IPM offers Safestore Rust red flour beetle trap for effective monitoring. Xlure-MST trap can be also used to monitoring and control Rust-red flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum.