five Insects which infest food stored in the home.

• Flour Beetles (Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum)
• Drugstore Beetle (Stegobium paniceum)
• Sawtoothed Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis)
• Indianmeal Moth (Plodia interpunctella)
• Fruit Flies (Drosophila melanogaster)

Careful observation is necessary when detecting an insect infestation.

Each of these 5 different insects, each have a unique pattern of destruction.

These observations are imperative, as there are not always larvae, pupa, or adults readily available for examination and identification. In the absence of physical specimens, conclusions can be drawn about the probable insect that is infesting the product just by noting the damage done to the particular food. By noting the type of food and the damage done, a nearly accurate conclusion can be drawn about the type of insect causing the damage, allowing a conjecture about the type of control needed. Having an insect specimen and accurately identifying it can lead to eradication, and ultimately, prevention.

Foods commonly infested include:

• Whole or cracked grains (rice)
• Flour, meal, or similar ground grain products
• Spices
• Cereals
• Pasta
• Candy
• Powdered milk
• Nuts (whole or pieces)

Other stored product pests:

• Rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae
• Maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais
• Yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor
• Red Flour Beetle Tribolium castaneum
• Confused Flour Beetle Tribolium confusum
• Spider beetle Mezium americanum
• Fur/Carpet beetle Attagenus pellio
• Black carpet beetle Attagenus unicolor
• Varied carpet beetle Anthrenus verbasci
• Furniture beetle Anobium punctatum
• Larder beetle Dermestes lardarius
• Khapra beetle Trogoderma granarium
• Lesser grain borer Rhyzopertha dominica
• Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella
• Meal Moth Pyralis farinalis
• Destructive Flour Beetle-- Tribolium destructor
• Saw-toothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis
• Merchant grain beetle Oryzaephilus mercator
• Australian Spider Beetle Ptinus tectus
• Golden Spider Beetle Niptus hololeucus
• Red-legged Ham Beetle Necrobia rufipes
• Biscuit Beetle Stegobium paniceum
• Cigarette Beetle Lasioderma serricorne
• Cadelle Beetle Tenebroides mauritanicus
• Hide Beetle Dermestes maculatus
• Warehouse Beetle Trogoderma variabile
• Clothes moths Several species chiefly Webbing Clothing Moth Tineola bisselliella; Casemaking Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella; Phereoeca fallax
• Tapestry Moth Trichophaga tapetzella
• Agoumois Moth Sitotroga cerealella
• Wine Moth Oinophila v-flavum
• Mill Moth Ephestia kuehniella
• Warehouse Moth Ephestia elutella
• Flour Mite Acarus siro
• Silverfish Lepisma saccharina
• House cricket Acheta domesticus