Rust-red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst, 1797) is a polyphagous, cosmopolitan pest in flour
mills and wherever cereal products and other dried foods are processed or stored. It is often the most
common species in the pest complex attacking stored wheat. Although its pest status is considered to be
secondary, requiring prior infestation by an internal feeder, it can readily infest wheat or other grains
damaged in the harvesting operation.
Confused flour beetle (Jacquelin du Val, 1868) attacks stored grains and stored foods. Adults and larvae
feed on broken kernels and finely ground materials in grain storages, flour mills, warehouses and
wherever grain or grain products are stored. T. confusum is more likely to be found in flour mills then T.
castaneum. Both closely-related species are often found together and the two species can be difficult to
distinguish, particularly at the larval stage of development.
Last Updated: