The Red Flour Beetle is a common pantry pest in Sevierville, TN and surrounding areas. To read about other creatures inclined to invade your cupboards, read our article: Common Pantry Pests in Sevierville, TN – Awareness and Prevention Tips.
Red Flour Beetle
Scientific Name: Tribolium castaneum
Actual Size:
Color: Reddish Brown
Number of Legs: 6
Antennae: Yes, Club-like, three-segmented
Wings: Yes, functional, commonly flies short distances
Lifespan: 2 to 3 years
Lifecycle: Adult females can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime. They lay two to three clear, white, sticky eggs daily. Eggs hatch within five to 12 days. The entire lifecycle of the red flour beetle in ideal conditions takes approximately 7 weeks but can take as long as three months or more. Larvae reach maturity within 30 days in optimal conditions.
Red Flour Beetle
Scientific Name: Tribolium castaneum
Actual Size:
Color: Reddish Brown
Number of Legs: 6
Antennae: Yes, Club-like, three-segmented
Wings: Yes, functional, commonly flies short distances
Lifespan: 2 to 3 years
Lifecycle: Adult females can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime. They lay two to three clear, white, sticky eggs daily. Eggs hatch within five to 12 days. The entire lifecycle of the red flour beetle in ideal conditions takes approximately 7 weeks but can take as long as three months or more. Larvae reach maturity within 30 days in optimal conditions.
Behavior and Habits
Red flour beetles infest and consume stored grain products such as flour, cereals, crackers, beans, spices, pasta, cake mix, dried pet food, dried flowers, chocolate, nuts, seeds, and even dried museum specimens.
Red Flour beetles have chewing mouthparts. However, they do not bite or sting. The red flour beetle may elicit an allergic response, but there is no known evidence of the spread of any disease. Furthermore, red flour beetles do not feed on or damage the structure of a home or furniture. Red Flour Beetles are arguably the most important pest concern of stored products in the home and grocery stores.
Resources
Scharf, I., Radai, A., Goldshtein, D., & Hanna, K. (2024). Flour beetles prefer corners over walls and are slowed down with increasing habitat complexity. Royal Society Open Science, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.231667
