Red-legged Ham Beetle

Natural Habitat

Typically found in food storage facilities, warehouses, and homes where dried meats, cheeses, or proteins are stored.

Diet & Feeding

Feeds primarily on dried proteins such as smoked meats, ham, cured fish, and cheese. They can also be predatory, eating the larvae of other insects.

Behavior Patterns

They are active fliers and strong crawlers. Adults and larvae both feed on the same food sources. They undergo complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult) and prefer warm, humid environments.

Risks & Benefits

Primarily a nuisance pest that contaminates stored food supplies. Risk involves economic loss through food spoilage rather than direct physical harm to humans. They play a role in the ecosystem as decomposers and occasional predators of other pests.

Identified on: 3/21/2026