Description:

The saw-toothed grain beetle is one of the most common insects in stored grain,cereal,peanuts and dried fruits products. The saw-toothed grain beetle is one of the most common insects infesting grain products. An infestation may begin at the time of manufacture or processing, in warehouses of food distributors in transit, on the grocers' shelves, or in the home. Most food processors and handlers make every effort to avoid insect infestations, but occasionally the efforts fail. Both the adults and the larvae feed on foods of vegetable origin, especially grain and grain products such as flour, pasta products, cereals, dried dog foods, nuts, candies, dried fruits, yeast, tobacco, and dried meats. Management measures for saw-toothed grain beetles are the same as for other stored grain pests. Bringing the infestation quickly under control can help prevent losses of quantities of foods stored on kitchen and pantry shelves.

Appearance:

Adult is brown and is approximately 3 mm. Mature larva is yellowish white. Adult has a flattened body. Thorax (chest) has saw-toothed pattern on each side and three distinct ridge lines on top. Adults climb vertical surfaces. Wings are present, developed, but they do cannot fly.

Lifecycle:

The female lays eggs singly or in small batches in the food product. She lays about 200 eggs in her lifetime. Eggs hatch after about 8 days. The life cycle takes about 35 days and the larvae feed in the top few centimeters of the food stuff. Adults usually live around 6 to 10 months.

Habits:

The larvae develop in flour, cereal products, and many other dried foods, including grains, cereals, bread, pasta products, dried meat, dried fruit and nuts, sugar, chocolate, candy, tobacco products and drugs. It is a common pest not only in grain bins, but also, mills, processing plants, warehouses, and kitchens. In grain bins, it feeds on broken kernels and grain residues. The beetles can chew through sealed packaging such as cardboard boxes, plastic bags and foil wrappings.