Copra beetle
Necrobia Rufipes
Identification
The confused flour beetle is 3-4 mm in length, the larvae are about 6 mm long. The adult is red-brown in color and the larvae are a light honey colour and about. It resembles the rust-red flour beetle, except for the antennae which is four segmented and gradually thickens towards the tip - another slight difference is in the shape of the thorax. The sides of the rust-red flour beetle are curved, whereas the thorax of the confused flour beetle is straighter. It has well developed wings but seldom flies.
Description
The Copra beetle is also known as the Red Legged Ham beetle.
Adults: 3/16" in length. The upper surfaces of the body are a shiny metallic bluish-green. The underside of the abdomen is dark blue. Their legs are bright reddish-brown or orange. The antennae are reddish–brown with a dark brown or black club at the tip.
The adults fly and can therefore easily disperse to new sources of food. They are destructive in both the larval and adult stages, although the larval stage is the most destructive. They are also cannibalistic, preying on their own eggs and pupae.
Females lay up to 30 eggs per day in cracks or crevices of cured fish. The eggs take between four and six days to hatch. The larvae will grow for 30 to 140 days, become less active and look for a dark place to pupate. The pupal stage varies between 6 and 21 days. An adult will mate soon after emerging from its pupal stage and can live for up to 14 months.
