Cadelle Beetle

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Common Name: Cadelle Beetle

Latin Name: Tenebroides mauritanicus

Common Family Name: Bark-gnawing beetles

Latin Family Name: Trogositidae

Other Names: Bread beetle, bolting cloth beetle

Origin: Possibly native to North America, as it is a member of a family of beetles which are found only in the western hemisphere. This is the only species in the family that presents itself as a food pest, as all others occur outdoors under bark and logs.

Biology: The Cadelle feeds on both grain products as well as the larvae of other insects it may find in the product, such as cereals, potatoes, nuts, or fruit. They are capable of gnawing through thick package layers, and also may bore into the wooden bins or shelving in which products are stored. The Cadelle will attack whole, unprocessed grains, often feeding only on the nutritious germ portion before moving on. In this way it damages more material, renders seed products unable to germinate, and opens the grains to attack by other pests. Females produce around 1000 eggs in batches of 10 to 60 eggs, laid in the food material. The time from egg to adult can be as short as 70 days in ideal conditions, but may extend to over a year if conditions are cool or very dry. Adults normally live for 1 year.

Identification: Larvae are very distinctive, as fairly large, very active animals. They are creamy white, somewhat hairy, with a large, dark head and two black “horns” at the tail end. Adult beetles are a shiny black, about 8 mm long, and has a flattened appearance. It is distinguished from the flour beetles and mealworms by the fact that there is a distinct space, or separation, between the elytra and the prothorax.

Characteristics Important in Control: Proper stock rotation is important due to the long life cycle of this beetle, moving products out before they can complete the cycle to the adult stage. Inspection of surrounding wooden containers and materials should be done to ensure beetle have not moved out of the infested foods.