LARDER BEETLE

LARDER BEETLE
Even though the Larder Beetle is considered a pantry pest, it does not infest grain products. Their preferred food is cured meat products. They will also feed on dead insects, cheese, tobacco, and pet food. The beetle larvae are also able to bore into wood, lead, and tin. They only bore into unusual materials searching for a place to pupate.
The adult is about 1/3rd inch in size, and mostly dark brown in color. Larvae are about a half-inch in size. Both the adult and larvae are covered with fine hairs.

Larder beetle anatomy

1.Antenna- 2 segmented
2.Eyes- compound
3.Head- small
4.Legs- 6
5.Wings- under elytra
6.Thorax- dark
7.Petiole- none
8.Abdomen- elongated
9.Color- reddish dark brown
10.Other- covered w/fine hairs

Life Cycle
During the spring and summer, the beetles enter houses looking for dead insects. The females lay about 100 eggs during the search, which hatch in about 12 days. The larvae search for food and go through 5-6 molts, then tunnel into a safe place to pupate. Sometimes they will even pupate inside their source of food. In 3-7 days they emerge, and a generation can be completed in a few as 40 days.