Red Flour and Confused Flour Beetle

The confused flour and red flour beetles look almost identical, which is probably how the confused beetle got its name. They are both reddish brown beetles, around 1/8″ long. Careful examination of the thorax and antennae must be made to differentiate the two. The red flour beetle has a more rounded thorax, and its antennae end in 3 distinctly larger segments. The antennae segments of the confused flour beetle gradually get larger until the end. Another difference is that only red flour beetles can fly, but they may not do it very often. Both types of beetles are fast moving, and will quickly run for cover if disturbed. The female lays small, sticky eggs in food material and can live up to several years. When the larvae hatch out they can grow to be a little bigger than the adults, and are colored white and yellow. As the name “flour beetle” implies, these beetles can only eat grains that are processed or damaged. Along with processed grains, they sometimes target other dried foods and spices. The confused flour beetle is the biggest pest of commercial mills in the US, and is sometimes brought into the home inside foods bought in the store.