Species Tribolium confusum - Confused Flour Beetle

Classification · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Habitat · Remarks · Works Cited

confused flour beetle - Tribolium confusum

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)

Superfamily Tenebrionoidea

Family Tenebrionidae (Darkling Beetles)

Subfamily Tenebrioninae

Tribe Triboliini

Genus Tribolium (Flour Beetles)

No Taxon (subgenus Tribolium)

Species confusum (Confused Flour Beetle)

Explanation of Names

Tribolium confusum Jaqcquelin du Val 1868

Identification

see(1)(2)

Range

most of our area - Map (1)(3), of African origin(4), now cosmopolitan

Habitat

probably the most common contaminant of flour, cereal, prepared flour mixes, dried fruits/nuts, and various spices(2)

Remarks

Probably the most serious pest of the genus Tribolium and one of the most economically important beetles(1)

earliest record in our area: 1860(5)

These beetles aggregate. At intermediate levels they are randomly distributed. With heavy infestations they are uniformly distributed. This spacing is due to secretions of quinones from thoracic and abdominal glands, serving as a repellent above a certain concentration.(6)

Works Cited

1.	Beetles associated with stored products in Canada: An identification guide Bousquet Y. 1990. Research Branch Agriculture Canada, Publication 1837.

2.	Handbook of urban insects and arachnids: A handbook of urban entomology Robinson W.H. 2005. Cambridge University Press.

3.	Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

4.	Coleoptera families other than Cerambycidae, Curculionidae sensu lato, Chrysomelidae sensu lato and Coccinelidae -- Chapter 8.5 Denux O., Zagatti P. 2010. BioRisk 4: 315–406.

5.	The Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada Majka C.G., Bouchard P., Bousquet Y. 2008. Can. Entomol. 140: 690‒713.

6.	Insect Behavior Robert W. Matthews and Janice R. Matthews. 1988. Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co.

Contributed by v belov on 20 September, 2011 - 8:09pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, Marci Hess
Last updated 12 October, 2023 - 12:05pm

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