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flour beetle

noun

Definition of flour beetle

: any of various small darkling beetles (especially Tribolium confusum and T. castaneum) that typically feed on and lay eggs in stored grain and grain products

Examples of flour beetle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 The two most promising species are flour beetles and black soldier flies, specifically the larval stages of these animals. — The Economist, "Beetles and flies are becoming part of the agricultural food chain," 4 July 2019 The team bred six populations of red flour beetles, and watched them for 80 to 100 generations in male-biased and female-biased groups. — Laura Yan, Popular Mechanics, "These Mating Male Beetles Are Not Gay, Just Incompetent," 13 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flour beetle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of flour beetle

1888, in the meaning defined above

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