Red Flour Beetle

Found in stored food products, especially flour mills, bakeries, warehouses, and pantries. Prefers warm, humid environments.

Feeds on a wide variety of stored products, particularly grain products like flour, cereal, pasta, and pet food. They are secondary pests, meaning they feed on damaged grains or processed products rather than whole, undamaged kernels.

Gregarious and active in stored food. Adults are long-lived (up to 3 years) and females lay hundreds of eggs directly into food sources. Larvae and adults can co-exist within the same food material. They emit defensive quinone compounds that can give infested food a moldy smell and taste.

Potential risks include significant contamination and spoilage of stored food products, rendering them unfit for human or animal consumption due to their presence, waste, and chemical secretions. No known direct benefits to humans or the ecosystem.