Red-legged Ham Beetle (Necrobia rufipes) | Pest of Dried Agricultural Products
Tags: red-legged ham beetle, necrobia rufipes, dried food pest, warehouse infestation, pest control, dried coconut beetle, stored product insects, post-harvest pest management, dried seafood pest, beetle in dried goods
Red-legged Ham Beetle (Necrobia rufipes)
A Key Pest of Dried Meat, Crops, and Agricultural Products
The Red-legged Ham Beetle (Necrobia rufipes) is a small but highly destructive beetle that attacks a wide range of dried agricultural commodities, particularly during post-harvest storage. Found especially in warehouses, this pest is known to infest dried coconut, dried shrimp, dried fruits, legumes, dried fish, and various other dehydrated goods. Despite its small size of just 4–5 mm, infestations can rapidly and severely compromise product quality.
Basic Information
- Common Name: Red-legged Ham Beetle
- Scientific Name:Necrobia rufipes (De Geer)
- Family: Cleridae
- Order: Coleoptera
Morphological Features
Body Length: 4–5 mm, elongated oval shapeColoration: Shiny metallic blue-green
Antennae: Clubbed (capitate)
Legs: Bright red, highly distinctive
Wings:
- Forewings: Hardened elytra
- Hindwings: Transparent membrane
Behavior:Highly active, fast-moving, excellent flier, adept at burrowing into dried goods
Life Cycle (Complete Metamorphosis)
Egg Stage
- 400–1,000 eggs per female
- Laid in groups in product crevices
- Incubation: 4–5 days
Larval Stage
- Grayish-purple larvae
- Development time: 20–40 days
Pupal Stage
- Duration: 5–7 days
- Lifespan: ~6 months
- Total life cycle: 30–60 days
Feeding Habits & Damage
Commonly Infested Products:
- Dried coconut
- Dried fruits
- Legumes and seeds
- Dried fish, shrimp, squid
- Animal hides and bone meal
- Ham, bacon, cheese
- Processed dried plant materials
Damage Characteristics:
- Larvae tunnel into dried goods, creating holes and cavities
- Adults feed externally, chewing the surface
- Leads to severe degradation of quality and market value
- Prefers warm, poorly ventilated storage environments
Global Distribution
- Widely found across tropical and temperate regions
- Infestations occur year-round in warm climates
- Frequently observed in long-term storage facilities or warehouses with poor humidity control
Prevention & Control Measures
✅ Physical and Cultural Controls:
- Temperature management: Apply heat or deep freezing to disrupt the life cycle
- Moisture control: Maintain low humidity levels in stored goods
- Hotspot management: Isolate and dispose of infested products
- Storage timing: Avoid excessive storage duration of raw materials
✅ Chemical & Biological Controls:
Fumigation:- Treat raw materials before storage
- Apply to rejected goods to prevent further spread
- Capture adults for monitoring
- Serve as early detection tools in storage facilities
✅ Conclusion
The Red-legged Ham Beetle (Necrobia rufipes) may be small in size but poses a major threat to the quality and value of dried agricultural products like coconut, seafood, and spices. Effective control requires an integrated approach—from pre-harvest sanitation and monitoring, to controlled storage conditions and pheromone-based detection—ensuring product safety across the entire supply chain._-_2.jpg)
Red-legged Ham Beetle (Necrobia rufipes) — 3 High-Intent FAQs
Q: 1 What’s the fastest way to get rid of ham beetles in dried seafood/fruit—today?
A:- Quarantine the lot: bag & seal suspect pallets/containers; don’t mix with clean stock.
- Spot-cull: discard items with tunneling, frass, or live larvae/adults.
- Heat bulk goods at 60 °C for ≥50 min (or 50 °C for 100 min) or deep-freeze ≤-18 °C for 3–4 days (time starts once the core reaches target).
- Vacuum/clean floors, rack joints, motor housings, conduit boxes, and under pallets.
- Fumigate only for warehouse-scale or deeply infested stock (licensed pros).
- Monitor with pheromone/lure traps at warm, low-airflow spots; inspect weekly for 6–8 weeks.
Q: 2 What temperature kills all stages (eggs, larvae, pupae, adults)?
A:
1) Heat kill:
- Thin/loose goods: 60 °C × 50 min (egg-to-adult lethal)
- Dense packs: extend hold time or use 50 °C × 100 min to ensure core penetration
3) Best practice: Use data-logged probes in the product core + follow with sanitation & sealingto prevent reinfestation.
Q: 3 Are red-legged ham beetles harmful to humans, and how do I tell them from “look-alike” pantry beetles?
A:1) Human risk: They don’t usually spread specific human diseases or toxins; the main issues are contamination, odor, and severe quality loss. Rare nuisance bites can occur in heavy infestations, but medical significance is low. Dispose of contaminated food.
2) ID cheatsheet:
- Red legs + metallic blue-green body (4–5 mm) + fast runner/flyer → Necrobia rufipes.
- Tiny, uniform brown, humped chest; rows of pits on wing covers → drugstore/cigarette beetles (Stegobium/Lasioderma).
- Hairy larvae, damage to wool/furs → dermestid/carpet beetles.
