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SMALL HIVE BEETLE FACTS |
Identification
The Small Hive Beetle is a small flattened oval shaped beetle. It is dark brown to black. Adults are reddish when they emerge from the pupa but soon darken. Larvae are small white grubs with a ridge of spine along the back. The beetle is an introduced exotic pest species in Australia where it is a destructive pest in honey bee colonies.
Size
length 6mm, width 3mm
Food
The beetle larvae tunnel through honey combs feeding on honey. Their waste can discolour and ferment the honey.
Classification
| Class: | Insecta | | Order: | Coleoptera | | Family: | Nitidulidae | | Genus: | Aethina | | Species: | tumida | | Common Name: | Small Hive Beetle |
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