Physical Characteristics

There’s nothing confused about this reddish-brown beetle, whose adults are capsule-shaped and 1/8 inch in length. It’s just that people confused it with some other beetles, like the red flour beetle. The confused flour beetle has antennae whose scape gently tapers outward to a four-segment club, however, and its sides are straighter than the more rounded red flour beetle, whose antennae have a marked difference between its narrow scape and thicker club segment. Adults have wings under their elytra, but they’ve never been observed in flight. Larvae are 1/8 to 1/4 in length and whitish-yellowish in color, with a darker two-pronged tail segment (similar to red flour beetle larvae).

Confused Flour Beetle

Behavior

The confused flour beetle can’t feed on whole kernels, or undamaged grain. It will feed on grain and grain products, peas, beans, shelled nuts, dried fruit, spices, milk chocolate, drugs, snuff tobacco and cayenne pepper. When confused flour beetles infest flour, they often will leave it smelling and tasting foul, but non-toxic.

Treatment:

Inspect the above-mentioned items for confused flour beetles or other pests, keep your kitchen and other areas clean, store items in Tupperware-type containers or sealed glass jars in a dry place, and rotate products, using your older goods first. If you think your confused flour beetle problem is escalating, call Clark Pest Control. Our highly trained technicians have the expert knowledge to solve your pest problem quickly.

Latin name: Tribolium confusum