There are several variants to this species, confused & rust red are a couple of common names for these stored product insects (Spi).

Found throughout the food industry possibly in any premises handling or storing flour. Flour mills, bakeries, silos favoured, this one of the most reported insects in the food industry.

Identification:
3 to 4 mm in length, uniform red brown to dark brown in colour, slim with segments of antennae gradually broader towards tip, no ridges above each eye. Very similar in appearance to the rust-red flour beetle. (Tribolium castaneum)

350-400 eggs are laid at 2 to 10 a day over 100 days in food material, the egg hatches in 6-14 days, larvae take 4 to 5 weeks to develop, with 5-11 moults over 3-9 weeks, pupae are formed and adults hatch in 9-17 days. Adults live 15 to 20 months. There may be up to 5 generations per year.

Wherever flour is handled this insect can be found and will be difficult to eradicate especially if in flour handling systems. If found in bakeries check the entire flour system from silos / bins to weigh cells, dust extraction equipment, moulders, dividers, provers, mixers and bagged flour tips etc. etc.

Clean dust extracts, tailings bags, silos and bins and associated pipework on a regular basis and replace with new bags purging the whole system. All flour handling plant should be stripped also e.g. pastry breaks and sifters etc.

The fabric of flour rooms will also need regular cleaning to include conduits and wall plates and overheads. Only when this is complete can treatment be made with a suitable insecticide if safe to do so.