COMMON NAMES:ondjaba (Oshikwanyama); ontuko yuusila (Oshimbalantu, Oshingandjera, Oshikolonkadhi)PEST STATUSA minor storage pest in communal agriculture in north central Namibia. Flour of the staple crop, pearl millet, is usually not stored due to fast deterioration, but fresh flour is prepared daily. Tribolium cannot infest flour in such a short time.The host range includes stored flour of all cereals. Tribolium beetles are usually noticed in wheat flour which has been stored for too long in households or in shops. Tribolium beetles are secondary pests and do not infest whole grains. A few cases are known, where pearl millet grains were infested with Tribolium, after the grain had been attacked by caterpillars of Corcyra moths. DESCRIPTIONThe larva is 6-7 mm long, white or cream in colour. The head is dark brown. The larvae may at first glance be confused with Corcyra caterpillars but Tribolium is much smaller than Corcyra, and the tail end is dark brown and slightly pointed. The Tribolium larvae are quite difficult to find in infested flour as the flour clings to its body covering it fully.The adult beetle is 4-5 mm long, slim and red-brown. When flour is infested, the beetle is easier to spot than the larvae in storage containers, flour bags and the floor in storage rooms. CONTROLSifting is sometimes used to clean small quantities of flour, but the larvae are small and difficult to separate from the flour.Try to avoid using chemicals in stored food. If chemical control is still considered necessary, please contact the FSRE pest officers for precise advice on chemical control. The contact numbers and addresses are listed on the cover.
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