Identification

Length: From 20 to 30mm. Dark in colour, almost black for the female and dark brown for the male. Uniformly black thorax.The female has very short wings.

Living Areas

Cool, dark and very damp corners: cellars, unused water pipes, storerooms. Likes very damp surroundings. Highly active at night.

Feeding

Adult: feeds on any fairly mouldy organic materials. Larvae: same food as the adults.

Nuisances

Stains on walls and packaging from excrement. Carries moulds, bacteria, viruses and some intestinal worms responsible for certain illnesses.

Life Cycle

The ootheca may contain up to 18 eggs. The egg incubation period is 45 days. The complete life cycle of the Oriental beetle is between 7 to 13 months.