Tribolium castaneum and T. confusum are important stored grain pests and model organisms, yet little is known about their life history outside the stored grain environment. Like related species, T. castaneum and T. confusum are thought to have originally utilized rotting logs, yet affinity and continued use of this microhabitat has not been studied. Here we conducted olfactometer assays to assess attraction to three different species of decomposing wood for both T. castaneum and T. confusum. We found that both species were highly attracted to wood over flour (positive control) and air (negative control) regardless of wood species. Attraction was also not influenced by the sex of the beetle. These results suggest that attraction to decomposing wood is maintained across Tribolium species. This study contributes to an important yet little explored area of inquiry into the role natural microhabitats may play in supporting these economically important species.
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