Cadelle
Tenebroides mauritanicus
Appearance
- Adults: 6-11 mm in length.
- Dark brown / 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.