Grain Beetle or Flour Beetle (Likely Sawtoothed Grain Beetle or Red Flour Beetle)
Scientific Name: Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Sawtoothed) or Tribolium castaneum (Red Flour)
Order & Family: Order: Coleoptera; Family: Silvanidae (Sawtoothed) or Tenebrionidae (Flour)
Size: Very small; typically 2.5 to 3.5 mm in length.
Natural Habitat
Found indoors in stored food products such as flour, cereal, pasta, sugar, dried fruit, and pet food.
Diet & Feeding
They feed on broken grain, flour, cereal products, dried fruits, nuts, and other stored pantry items.
Behavior Patterns
They are swift-moving beetles often found crawling through contaminated dry goods. They do not bite or sting but reproduce quickly in warm conditions, leading to large infestations.
Risks & Benefits
Risks: They are a major pantry pest, contaminating food with feces and shed skins, often rendering it inedible. Benefits: None in a domestic setting; they are solely considered pests.
Identified on: 3/2/2026