Likely flour beetle
Tribolium sp. (probably Tribolium castaneum, red flour beetle)
- Order & Family
- Coleoptera; Tenebrionidae
- Size
- About 3–4 mm long; narrow, flattened, and reddish-brown.
Natural Habitat
Stored grains, flour, cereals, spices, pet food, and other dry pantry products; adults may wander onto nearby fabrics and surfaces.
Diet & Feeding
Adults and larvae feed on milled grain products and damaged kernels, contaminating food with feces, shed skins, and odor rather than biting people.
Behavior Patterns
Usually nocturnal and fast-moving; females lay eggs in stored food, and several generations can develop annually in warm conditions. Identification from this image is limited, and other small pantry beetles are possible.
Risks & Benefits
Not dangerous to humans and do not infest skin, but they can contaminate and spoil stored food. They have little direct ecological benefit indoors, though they are decomposers in natural habitats.