(Tenebrio molitor)
Biology:
With a body length of 13 to 18 mm, the black-brown colored, greasy, shiny flour beetle is one of the largest beetles that are harmful to stored goods. In addition to its occurrence in bakeries, warehouses and mills, it can also be found in homes, pigeon lofts and outdoors, especially in bird nests. The larvae grow up to 28 mm long, are yellow-brown and are often used as “mealworms” as food for fish, reptiles and birds. The beetles are good fliers that only become active at dusk.
Larvae and beetles feed on flour and other cereal products, as well as many other products of animal and plant origin.
Damage:
Larvae and beetles become harmful by eating and soiling the infested goods. Occasionally, the larvae also bore holes in rotten wood and destroy insulating material in animal stables. Due to their slow development, however, the animals do not tend to reproduce en masse. A major infestation can usually be prevented by thorough cleaning and removal of food residues.
Mealybugs are also considered disease vectors, as they are intermediate hosts of the rat tapeworm(Hymenolepis diminuta) and its vector to humans.
