Yellow Mealworm BeetleMealworm beetles are large beetles, two species of which are the largest of the stored product beetles at 5/8 inch to 4/5 inch (14 to 20mm) in length. They are dark brown or black in colour and, to an untrained eye, may resemble ground beetles in appearance. Mealworm beetles are uniformly oval in […]
Category Archives: Stored Product Pest
Squarenecked Grain BeetleLike other members if the beetle Family Cucujidae, the squarenecked grain beetle is a flat beetle – a necessary shape for hiding in small cracks and under items. It is oblong, reddish brown in color with shiny, polished appearance. It grows to a length of 1/10 inch (2.5 mm) so it is fairly […]
Characteristics Spider beetle are so named because some species actually resemble small spiders in appearance with their small head and prothorax and larger abdomen. The shiny spider beetle, Gibbium psylloides and the American spider beelte, Mezium americanum, in particular, resemble spiders due to their globular-shaped abdomens. Other spider beetle species found in the Ptinus have […]
Siamese Grain BeetleThe Siamese grain beetle is a small (1/10”, 2.5 to 3 mm), flattened, reddish brown beetle that resembles a miniature cadelle in appearance. Biology & Life Cycle The Siamese grain beetle is a worldwide food-infesting species that is commonly found in a wide variety of foods including legumes (beans), rice and rice products, […]
Characteristics Seed beetles are short, stout beetles belonging to the beetle Family Bruchidae. The main seed beetles that are stored product pests are the bean weevils, Acanthoscelides bruchid, cowpea weevils, Calosobruchus spp, and groundnut bruchid, Caryedon serratus. The bean weevil and cowpea weevils closely resemble each other. These two small beetles are short ( 1/8″, […]
Characteristics The sawtoothed and merchant grain beetles are small, long, flattened beetles about 1/10 inch (2.5 mm) in length. These two dark brown beetles are essentially identical to each other and are characterized by the six-saw-like teeth on each side of the prothorax. The difference between the two species is seen by examining the eyes […]
Characteristics Rice weevils range in size from 1/8 inch to 3/16 inch (3.1 to 4.8 mm) and are dark reddish-brown in colour. The thoracic pits of a rice weevil are round or irregular in shape. Rice weevils often have four lightcoloured patches on its elytra (wing covers), but these are not always present or visible. […]
Lesser Mealworm BeetleThe lesser mealworm beetle, Alphitobius diaperinus is a smaller beetle measuring about ¼ inch to 1/6 inch (4 to 6mm) long. It is a dark reddish-brown color with strong ridges on the wing covers. The upper corners of the prothorax behind the head are acutely rounded and the sides are nearly straight and […]
Red-Legged Ham BeetleThe red legged ham beetle is an easily recognized beetle due to its coloration. It is an oblong-shaped beetle with the head and being narrower than its rear end. Larger specimens measure about ¼ inch (7mm). The body is colored a metallic bluish-green and its legs and the first few segments of the […]
Damage Damaged kernels are the ones most frequently attacked by these beetles, however, the grain borers are capable of invading undamaged grain. Lesser grain borers also infest corn, wheat, barley, rice, and has been known to attack wood and books. Infestation in flour and dried cassave also have been encountered. Biology and life cycle The […]
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