Beetle Found In Rice Supplies Is Said To Be Harmless
Some people in the Bay of Plenty who have purchased rice recently have probably found a strange insect in the grain. This has now been identified as the rust red flour beetle or, to give it its scientific name, tribolium castaneum. According to Dr G. H. Satchell, entomologist, of the Otago University, the beetle attacks every grain and was already in New Zealand before the arrival of the Wairata. It has spread throughout the world in food shipments and was commonly known as a pest of flour. “It is not a rice bug,” said Dr Satchell. “It is quite harmless and there is nothing unusual in its presence here.” The public is advised that there is no need to worry about the presence of the beetle in any rice. The rice * can be tipped into a bowl of water and the beetles will float to the top and can be easily removed and destroyed.
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Bibliographic details
Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 81, 11 August 1950, Page 7
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164Beetle Found In Rice Supplies Is Said To Be Harmless Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 81, 11 August 1950, Page 7
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