First Beetle To Have Its Genome Sequenced

Around the house and garden, the red flour beetle is known as a little pantry pest. But among scientists, at least, the little pest’s status is about to change. Soon, the quarter-inch-long critter will be the first beetle to have its genome sequenced. Scientists undertook the project because the beetle could be a “model” species for investigating human genetics, much like the mouse or the fruit fly.