Sap beetles

Classification

Secondary pest; Fungus feeder
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Nitidulidae
Acronym: CAR

Description

• Adults are 2 to 4 mm in length, oval, flattened and light brown to black in colour.
• Elytra are often shortened, exposing 2 or 3 abdominal segments.
• Elytra often with 1 or 2 yellow to reddish brown spots.
• Antennae end in 3-segmented, flattened club.
• Sap beetles are highly mobile.

Similar species

• Other species within the same genera are similar in appearance

Commodities affected

• Sap beetles feed on stored grain, dried fruit, fresh fruit, flowers, fungi, carrion
• Some feed on sap of trees and juice of fruits

Signs of infestation

• Presence of holes in commodity
• Presence of adult beetles in sometimes large aggregations

Damage

• Larvae and adults both feed but damage is not distinctive.
• Larvae may burrow into mouldy grain residues.
• Adults will feed on dried and ripening fruit where their pest status is most significant.
• Sap beetles may transmit mould spores, bacteria and yeasts.

How to control

• Control grain insect pests

Geographic range

• Are distributed worldwide and across Canada
• 2 species are most important in Canada: the dried fruit beetle, Carpophilus hemipterus (L.) and the four-spotted sap beetle, Glischrochilus quadrisignatus (Olivier)

Where found

• Are attracted by moulds and yeasts on potential foods
• Are important pests of ripening fruits

Life history

• These beetles have a very high fecundity, a single female is able to lay up to 1000 eggs over a 3 to 4 month period
• Females lay eggs on or in food
• Larvae are active and move amongst the food, burrowing into food material
• Adults will fly readily
• Populations develop rapidly