Broad-Horned Flour Beetles

Latin Name: Gnatocerus cornutus

Months of Activity: April - September

The Broad-Horned Flour Beetle feeds mainly on grain products and is frequently found infesting flour and feed mills. The larvae have also been found feeding on flour, corn meal, beans, dog biscuits, corn, pancake flour, yeast cakes, bran, farina and sugar cane.

They are active insects which will seek cover if disturbed and, because they are so small, can exploit the smallest crevice. They are a particular problem in machinery where cereal and other food residues accumulate.

Appearance

• The adult Broad-Horned Flour Beetle is between 3.5-4.5mm in length. The feature which easily distinguishes it from other flour beetles is a pair of broad, stout horns on the mandibles of the male. The eyes are crescent shaped and the adults have been known to fly.
• The larvae are pale red / yellow and grow up to a length of 9-10mm.

Lifecycle

The female Broad-Horned Flour Beetle will lay up to 400 eggs during a five-month egg-laying period. If conditions are optimum (24-30 °C and 66-92% r.h.) the life cycle can be completed in approximately 60 days.

The egg incubation period lasts 7 days and the larvae develop in approximately 40 days. There are seven larval instars and pupation lasts for 10 days.

Temperatures below 10°C will prevent completion of the lifecycle.

Pest Control

Assessment of the infestation must be completed before control measures are carried out, often through the use of pit-fall traps, bait bags and adhesive traps.

Once the extent of the infestation is known, all infested commodities should be destroyed or fumigated. Food residues and secondary sources, such as birds' nests, should be removed to prevent Broad-Horned Flour Beetles from breeding and infesting new materials.

To prevent future infestations, insecticides can be applied to the fabric of stores concentrating on potential insect harbourages. Alternatively it may be appropriate to employ grain protectants.

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