Palorus subdepressus, commonly known as the depressed flour beetle, is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae.
Taxonomy The species was originally described as Hypophloeus subdepressus by the English entomologist Thomas Vernon Wollaston in 1864. It belongs to the genus Palorus within the tribe Triboliini.
Description Adults are small, measuring approximately 2.5 to 3 mm in length, with a reddish-brown coloration. The common name "depressed flour beetle" refers to its somewhat flattened (depressed) body shape. Larvae are yellow-brown, developing from near-transparent early instars.
Distribution The species is found in Europe and North America. It has also been recorded in the Azores (Terceira), Austria, and more recently in Georgia (Sakartvelo). It is considered to have a cosmopolitan distribution, particularly in warmer regions.
Habitat and Ecology Palorus subdepressus is associated with stored products and dry organic matter. Like other members of its genus, it is often found in grain storage facilities, flour mills, and similar environments where it feeds on processed plant materials.
Economic Significance As a stored-product pest, the depressed flour beetle can infest grain, flour, and other dry foodstuffs, though it is generally considered less economically damaging than some other stored-product beetles.
