Copra Beetle (Necrobia rufipes)

copraAppearance
Adults: 4 – 5 mm.
Upper part of the body is shiny metallic blue-green. The underside of the abdomen is dark blue. The legs are shiny reddish brown or orange. The antennae are reddish brown with a dark brown or black circle at the tip.

 

Life cycle
Females lay up to 30 eggs per day. The eggs take between four and six days to hatch.
Larvae grow for 30 to 140 days, become less active and seek a dark place to pupate. The pupal stage lasts between 6 and 21 days. The adult mates soon after emerging from the pupal stage and can live up to 14 months.

Habits
Adults are flightless, which allows them to easily search for new food sources.
They are destructive in both larval and adult stages, although they cause more damage in the larval stage.
They are also cannibals, feeding on their own eggs and pupae.

 

Golden spider beetle (Tenebrio molitor)

aranhaAppearance
Adults – 20mm long. They are dark brown or black, shiny.
Larvae are honey-coloured yellow, have a worm-like body, elongated, hard, highly polished, smooth and shiny, and can reach 30mm in length.

 

Life cycle
Each female lays about 275-600 eggs, individually or in clusters, during spring. They are white, bean-shaped, about 1mm long and hatch in 4-14 days. The pupation phase lasts 7-24 days during spring. Pupae start out white, then turn yellow and are not in a cocoon. Adults emerge in spring or early summer and live for two to three months.

Habits
They are highly resistant to low temperatures.
They are a major pest after harvest and appear worldwide.
Adult beetles are attracted to night lights, are large fliers and can be found in dark places.

 

Yellow Meal Beetle (Necrobia rufipes)

amareloAppearance
Adults: 4 – 5 mm.
Upper part of the body is shiny metallic blue-green. The lower part of the abdomen is dark blue. The legs are shiny reddish brown or orange. The antennae are reddish brown with a dark brown or black circle at the tip.

 

Life cycle
Females lay up to 30 eggs per day. The eggs take between four and six days to hatch.
Larvae grow for 30-140 days, become less active and seek a dark place to pupate.
The pupal stage lasts between 6 and 21 days.
The adult mates soon after emerging from the pupal stage and can live up to 14 months.

Habits
Adults are flightless, which allows them to easily search for new food sources.
They are destructive in both larval and adult stages, although they cause more damage in the larval stage.
They are also cannibalistic, feeding on their own eggs and pupae.