The confused flour beetle (''Tribolium confusum''), a type of

darkling beetle Darkling beetle is the common name for members of the beetle family Tenebrionidae. The number of species in the Tenebrionidae is estimated at more than 20,000 and the family is cosmopolitan in distribution. Taxonomy ''Tenebrio'' is the Latin ge ...

known as a

flour beetle Flour beetles are members of the darkling beetle genus, genera ''Tribolium (beetle), Tribolium'' or ''Tenebrio''. They are pests of cereal silos and are widely used as laboratory animals, as they are easy to keep. The flour beetles consume wheat ...

, is a common pest insect known for attacking and infesting stored

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many c ...

and

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit ( caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legu ...

. They are one of the most common and most destructive insect pests for grain and other food products stored in silos, warehouses, grocery stores, and homes.Lyon WF. Confused and ref flour beetles. ''Ohio State Fact Sheets''. (15 April 2010).
/ref> The "confused" in the beetle's name is due to it being confused with the

red flour beetle The red flour beetle (''Tribolium castaneum'') is a species of beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, the darkling beetles. It is a worldwide pest of stored products, particularly food grains, and a model organism for ethological and food safety r ...

, not because of its walking pattern.Baldwin R, Fasulo TR. (2010). Confused flour beetle, ''Tribolium confusum'' Jacquelin du Val, and red flour beetle, ''Tribolium castaneum'' (Herbst). ''Featured Creatures''. (15 April 2010).

Description

The confused flour beetle is very similar in appearance and habit to the

, ''Tribolium castaneum'' and the destructive flour beetle, ''Tribolium destructor''. Both the confused flour beetle and red flour beetle are small, about 3–6 mm (1/8-1/4 inch) in length, and reddish-brown in color. The primary distinguishing physical difference is the shape of their antennae: the confused flour beetle's antennae increase gradually in size and have four clubs, while the red flour beetle's antennae have only three. Additionally, red flour beetles have been known to fly short distances, while confused flour beetles do not. ''Tribolium destructor'' is much darker than either and less common.

Ecology

While confused (and red) flour beetles cannot feed on whole, undamaged grain, they are often found in large numbers in infested grains, feeding on broken grain, grain dust, and other household food items such as flour,

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...

dried fruit Dried fruit is fruit from which the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to th ...

, nuts, and beans. Both types of beetles are often found not only in infested grains, but in crevices in pantries and cabinet, as well. Damage to food is caused somewhat by the beetles' feeding, but also by their dead bodies, fecal pellets, and foul-smelling secretions. In addition to creating a foul odor, the beetles' presence encourages the growth of

mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of spores containing fungal secondary metabolites. The spores are the dispersal units of the fungi. Not ...

. Confused flour beetles are a common model organism in science. Several confused flour beetles were experimental subjects on the Bion 1 spacecraft, launched in 1973.

References

External links

Close-up photo on pbase.com
*''Tribolium'' species are hard to identify. Here are four species side by side. Note that several species of ''Tribolium'' may occur in the same infestatio

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4501895 Tenebrionidae Agricultural pest insects Storage pests Household pest insects Beetles described in 1863 Animal models Stored-product pests

Description

Ecology

See also

References

Further reading

External links