Larder Beetle
Order: Coleoptera
The Larder Beetle is a major pest of cured meats. It is found throughout the United States and worldwide.
Description: Adults are approximately 1/4–3/8 inch long. The Larder Beetle is oval in shape and their color ranges from dark brown to black with a pale yellow band across its back. Larvae are dark brown covered with long hairs.
Biology: Adults lay up to 800 eggs on a suitable food source and in cracks and crevices around food products. Eggs hatch in about 12 days. The larvae then bore themselves into the food item to pupate. Total development from egg to adult may be as long as three months.
Habits: Adults and larvae feed on a variety of animal products including dried fish, ham, meats, cheese, and even museum specimens. Larder Beetles primarily breed where dried pet food is stored, but other more unusual places for breeding can include old Yellowjacket or honey bee nests, wall voids where cluster flies once lived, bird nests, dead animals in the chimney or crawl space and even stored leather or fur items. |
