Cadelle

Tenebroides mauritanicus

Appearance

•  Adults: 6-11 mm in length.
•  It is a dark brown to black beetle with slim and flat body; ventral side, antennae and legs are red-brown. The waisting between wing covers and neck shield, whose front outer corners extend towards the head.
•  The larvae are dirty white and have black heads.
•  The yellowish-white pupa is 7-10 mm in length.

Lifecycle

•  Females deposits about 500-1000 eggs in clusters in the grain or grain product over the course of several months.
•  The entire development period is about 4 months in tropical zones.
•  The larvae are mainly found in clumps of Mediterranean flour moth webs, also in cracks in timber.
•  The adults are long lived, often more than a year.

Habits

•  They are a serious pest in the tropics.
•  They are found in mills, silos and warehouses, on grain mill products, feeds, groundnut seeds, etc
•  Irregular borings are found in kernels; germs are preferred.