Originally an African species, this beetle has now spread to all parts of the world. It is found particularly in grain warehouses, silos and mills. The larvae live hidden away, feeding on corn and flour , but also, to a certain extent predating on other insect species.

When Linnaeus described this insect in 1758, it was in all probability already cosmopolitan. The French called it the "cadelle" (which from the Latin catulus means offspring) and this is the name by which it is commonly known at the present time. It is known also as the "bread beetle" because of its habit of cutting the silk bolting in flour-mill machinery. Hatch (1942) notes in Europe the cadelle lives outdoors under bark and in rotten wood. Here it is predacious on wood-feeding insects.

The cadelle is believed by some entomologists to be a native of America, for all species of the family Ostomidae are found in the New World. It is one of the best known of the stored-grain pests, in part because it is also a common "pantry pest" in the house, where adults and larvae feed on cereals, breakfast foods, potatoes, shelled and unshelled nuts, or fruit, and prefer to lay their eggs under the flaps of cartons. They can gnaw through sacks and paper packages and wood, thus allowing other insects access. Unlike the granary and rice weevils, they feed not only on whole grains, but also on flour and a variety of other products, and are therefore much more important as pantry pests.

Click here to continue