Lesser Mealworm (Darkling Beetle)
Scientific Name: Alphitobius diaperinus
Order & Family: Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae
Size: 5 mm to 6 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Damp environments, poultry houses, grain storage, and decaying plant matter.
Diet & Feeding
Scavengers that feed on spilled grain, poultry feed, animal droppings, and occasionally dead insects.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal and highly reproductive in warm, humid conditions; larvae often burrow into insulation to pupate.
Risks & Benefits
Significant pest in agriculture; can transmit diseases like Salmonella and cause structural damage to insulation, but also used as reptile feed.
Identified on: 12/26/2025