Copra beetle/Red Legged Ham Beetle

Necrobia rufipes

Appearance

•  Adults: 4 - 5 mm.
•  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.

Lifecycle

•  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.

Habits

•  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.