Grain-pest
Guides
Aglossa caprealis
Stored grain moth
Aglossa caprealis, commonly known as the stored grain moth, is a pyralid moth of presumably western Palearctic origin that has achieved global distribution through human commerce. Adults are small moths with a wingspan of 23–27 mm, flying during summer months. The species is notable for its remarkably broad larval diet, which extends beyond typical stored products to include decaying organic matter and fatty animal materials.
Anomala binotata (Gyllenhal, 1817)
Shining leaf chafer
Anomala binotata is a species of scarab beetle in the subfamily Rutelinae, commonly known as the shining leaf chafers. It is native to North America, primarily occurring east of the Rocky Mountains. The species is recognized as an agricultural pest, with adults feeding on grapes and other fruit crops, while the larval grubs cause minor damage to grain crops including corn, wheat, and oats.
Attagenus fasciatus
Banded Black Carpet Beetle, Tobacco Seed Beetle, Wardrobe Beetle
Attagenus fasciatus is a cosmopolitan carpet beetle in the family Dermestidae, commonly known as the banded black carpet beetle, tobacco seed beetle, or wardrobe beetle. It occurs in North America, Oceania, Europe, and tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The species is a significant pest of stored products, textiles, and animal materials, with larvae feeding on keratin-containing substrates.
Blissus leucopterus hirtus
Hairy Chinch Bug
Blissus leucopterus hirtus is a subspecies of chinch bug recognized as a significant pest of grain crops, particularly wheat. It is distinguished from the nominate subspecies B. l. leucopterus by morphological features including denser body hair. The taxon is included in quarantine pest lists due to its potential for economic damage and invasive spread. Mathematical modeling indicates high probability of acclimatization in southern and central regions of Russia.
Cadra cautella
Almond moth, Tropical warehouse moth
Cadra cautella, commonly known as the almond moth or tropical warehouse moth, is a small stored-product pest in the family Pyralidae. It infests flour, bran, oats, and other grains, as well as dried fruits. The species is frequently confused with the Indian mealmoth (Plodia interpunctella) and Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella). Males exhibit specialized flight behavior in response to female sex pheromone plumes, maintaining upwind flight even at high pulse frequencies.
Carpophilus antiquus
Carpophilus antiquus is a species of sap-feeding beetle in the family Nitidulidae. It is native to North America. The species has been observed to produce a novel pheromone when feeding on wheat, yeast, or corn, which attracts conspecifics and sympatric species and can lead to beetle infestations.
Cryptolestes
Cryptolestes is a genus of small beetles in the family Laemophloeidae. Several species are economically significant pests of stored products, particularly food grains. The genus includes four particularly notorious species: C. ferrugineus (rusty grain beetle), C. pusilloides, C. pusillus (flat grain beetle), and C. turcicus (flour mill beetle). Species within this genus are morphologically similar and often require examination of genitalia for definitive identification.
Cryptolestes turcicus
flour mill beetle
Cryptolestes turcicus is a small beetle commonly known as the flour mill beetle, a member of the family Laemophloeidae (lined flat bark beetles). It is a significant pest of stored grain products, particularly in flour mills and warehouses. The species has been introduced widely through human commerce and now occurs in North America and Europe. Populations can maintain themselves only within a temperature range of 17°C–37°C and at relative humidities above 40%, with optimal reproduction near 28°C and 90% relative humidity.
Cynaeus
Cynaeus is a genus of darkling beetles in the family Tenebrionidae. The genus includes at least one economically significant species, Cynaeus angustus, commonly known as the larger black flour beetle. This species is native to North America and has become established as an invasive pest across Europe and Russia. Members of this genus are associated with stored grain products and have been documented as pests of corn, wheat, sorghum, soybeans, and peanuts.
Cynaeus angustus
Larger Black Flour Beetle
Cynaeus angustus is a North American darkling beetle that has become an invasive stored grain pest with established populations across Europe and Russia. It feeds on corn, wheat, sorghum, soybeans, and peanuts. The species shows high biotic potential with continuous development under favorable conditions and increasing protein content through its life stages. It serves as host to the microsporidian parasite Nosema cynaea.
Dargida
wheat head armyworm moths
Dargida is a genus of noctuid moths containing approximately 50 described species distributed primarily in the Americas. The genus includes several species whose larvae are known as wheat head armyworms, significant agricultural pests of small grains. Adult moths are medium-sized with wingspans of 1¼ to 1½ inches, typically yellow-brown with longitudinal stripes on the forewings. The genus was established by Francis Walker in 1856 and has historically included species formerly placed in the synonymized genus Faronta.
Dargida rubripennis
Pink Streak, Pink Streak Moth
Dargida rubripennis, commonly known as the pink streak, is a moth species in the family Noctuidae. It was described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote and Coleman Townsend Robinson in 1870. The species is listed as threatened in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Adults have a wingspan of 32–37 mm. The larvae are known as wheat head armyworms and feed on developing wheat kernels, particularly in the soft dough stage.
Ephestia
Flour-moths, cacao moth, Mediterranean flour moth
Ephestia is a genus of small moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. Several species are economically significant pests of stored dry plant products, particularly seeds and cereals. The genus includes the well-known cacao moth (E. elutella) and Mediterranean flour moth (E. kuehniella). Ephestia kuehniella was historically important in early developmental genetics research, contributing to the formulation of the one gene-one enzyme hypothesis. The genus Cadra is closely related and may be a junior synonym, with some species variously assigned to either genus.
Glycyphagus
Grocer's Itch Mites
Glycyphagus is a genus of astigmatid mites in the family Glycyphagidae, commonly known as grocer's itch mites. Species in this genus inhabit diverse environments including animal nests, stored products, house dust, and hay. They feed on organic debris and can disperse via phoresy on insects or air currents. Some species are significant pests of stored grain and household materials.
Gnatocerus maxillosus
flour beetle
Gnatocerus maxillosus is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae. It is a stored product pest commonly associated with grain and flour storage facilities. The species is known for its distinctive enlarged mandibles in males, which function as weapons in male-male combat. It has been documented from several European countries including France, Italy, and Albania, as well as the Canary Islands.
Laemophloeus
Laemophloeus is the type genus of the family Laemophloeidae, containing 28 valid species following modern taxonomic revision. Species are moderate to large for the family (2–4 mm). The genus occurs in the Palaearctic and Nearctic realms, extending into tropical regions of the New World. Several species are significant pests of stored grain and cereal products.
Latheticus
Latheticus is a genus of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) with nearly cosmopolitan distribution. The genus contains at least two species: Latheticus oryzae (long-headed flour beetle) and Latheticus prosopis. L. oryzae is a significant economic pest of stored grains and fermented products, notable for its slender body, protruding head morphology, and remarkable adaptability to high-temperature environments.
Latheticus oryzae
Long-Headed Flour Beetle
Latheticus oryzae is a small stored-product pest beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as the long-headed flour beetle. It infests milled grain products, cereals, flour, and rice, with both adults and larvae feeding directly on these substrates. The species is notable for its elongated head morphology and resemblance to Tribolium castaneum. It has been documented in high-temperature environments including Chinese baijiu-producing regions, where it infests fermented Daqu starter cultures.
Liorhyssus hyalinus
Hyaline Grass Bug
Liorhyssus hyalinus is a small scentless plant bug in the family Rhopalidae, widely distributed across multiple continents. Adults measure 6.5–7.5 mm and are active year-round in suitable climates. The species is a documented pest of quinoa cultivation in South America, particularly at lower elevations outside the crop's Andean origin, and has been recorded feeding on developing grains of maize and sorghum. Laboratory studies indicate optimal development and reproduction occur at 30°C, with five nymphal instars and thermal requirements of 68.6 degree-days for egg development and 114.8 degree-days for nymphal development.
Liposcelididae
booklice, barklice
Liposcelididae is a family of small, flattened psocids commonly known as booklice or barklice, containing approximately 200 species across nine genera. Members are frequently wingless, with fused mesothorax and metathorax in wingless forms. The family represents the free-living sister group to true lice (Phthiraptera), with fossil evidence dating divergence to at least 100 million years ago. Several species, particularly in the genus Liposcelis, are significant pests of stored grain and food products worldwide.
Liposcelis
Domestic Booklice, Booklice, Psocids
Liposcelis is a genus of approximately 126 species of minute insects commonly known as booklice or psocids. Many species are strongly associated with human habitation and are significant pests of stored products worldwide. They are particularly problematic in grain stores, museums, libraries, and food processing facilities where damp conditions prevail. The genus has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution, with species found across all continents. Liposcelis species are closely related to lice (order Phthiraptera) and share morphological similarities with them.
Liposcelis bostrychophila
House Psocid, booklouse
Liposcelis bostrychophila is a minute, wingless booklouse species with near-global distribution, primarily associated with stored products and grain facilities. Most populations reproduce exclusively through parthenogenesis, with females producing approximately 200 eggs over their lifetime. The species has emerged as a significant pest of stored cereals due to its high reproductive rate and documented resistance to chemical control measures. Sexual reproduction was first documented in 2002 in Hawaii, and a second sexually reproducing strain was later identified in Arizona.
Liposcelis decolor
booklouse
Liposcelis decolor is a minute stored-product pest psocid (booklouse) of significant economic importance worldwide. It infests stored grains and grain products, causing direct damage through consumption of endosperm and germ, and indirect damage by distributing molds and transmitting disease pathogens. The species exhibits high tolerance to phosphine fumigant, making chemical control difficult, and recovers rapidly from poorly conducted fumigations. It has been extensively studied as prey for biological control agents including the warehouse pirate bug Xylocoris flavipes and predatory mites Cheyletus eruditus and C. malaccensis.
Liposcelis entomophila
booklouse
Liposcelis entomophila is a small psocid species commonly known as a booklouse. It is a significant pest of stored grain products, with documented infestations in wheat and other stored foods. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in development, with females passing through four nymphal stages and males through three. It has developed notable resistance to phosphine fumigants used in grain storage, with resistant factors of 40- to 80-fold reported in Chinese populations. The species has a broad global distribution spanning six continents.
Nola cereella
sorghum webworm, sorghum webworm moth
Nola cereella, commonly known as the sorghum webworm, is a small moth in the family Nolidae. The species was first described by Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc in 1800. Adults have a wingspan of 12–18 mm and are active from July to September. The larvae feed specifically on Sorghum vulgare, making this species an agricultural pest of sorghum crops.
Oebalus pugnax
Rice Stink Bug
Oebalus pugnax, the rice stink bug, is a shield bug in the family Pentatomidae native to North America and a major agricultural pest in the Southern United States. First described by Fabricius in 1775, this species attacks cereal crops with small seeds, particularly rice, wheat, and sorghum. Adults are highly mobile and migrate en masse between wild grass hosts and cultivated fields. The species is distinguished from similar stink bugs by its narrower profile and lighter straw coloration.
Omonadus floralis
narrow-necked grain beetle, predator beetle
Omonadus floralis is an antlike flower beetle in the family Anthicidae, commonly known as the narrow-necked grain beetle. The species has a broad geographic distribution spanning the Caribbean, Central America, North America, Oceania, and South America. A scientific study has documented data on its life cycle, though specific details are not fully accessible from available sources.
Oryzaephilus surinamensis
Sawtoothed grain beetle, Malt beetle
Oryzaephilus surinamensis is a cosmopolitan stored product pest known for the distinctive sawtooth-like projections on its prothorax. The species was described by Linnaeus in 1758 from specimens received from Suriname, though it is not native to that region. It is flightless and frequently confused with the closely related merchant grain beetle (O. mercator), from which it differs in having smaller eyes and a broader, more triangular head. The beetle is a secondary pest that primarily attacks damaged grain and grain products, with both larvae and adults contributing to economic losses through feeding and contamination.
Palorus
Palorus is a genus of darkling beetles in the family Tenebrionidae, established by Mulsant in 1854. The genus contains at least four described species, including several recognized as pests of stored grain products. Species such as Palorus ratzeburgi (small-eyed flour beetle) and P. subdepressus (depressed flour beetle) are economically significant stored product pests. The genus belongs to the tribe Palorini within the subfamily Tenebrioninae.
Palorus ratzeburgii
small-eyed flour beetle
Palorus ratzeburgii, commonly known as the small-eyed flour beetle, is a darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae. It belongs to a genus associated with stored products and grain storage environments. The species is part of a group of beetles often found in human-modified habitats related to food storage.
Pyralis farinalis
meal moth
Pyralis farinalis, the meal moth, is a cosmopolitan species in the family Pyralidae and the type species of its genus, tribe, subfamily, and family. Adults are recognized by their colorful upperwings and characteristic resting posture with the abdomen held at 90° to the body. The species is strongly synanthropic, associated with stored grain and food products worldwide, and completes its life cycle in approximately eight weeks with multiple generations per year. Larvae are significant pests of milled plant products, feeding on cereals, grains, and other stored foods.
Rhyzopertha
Grain-borers
Rhyzopertha is a monotypic genus of beetles in the family Bostrichidae (false powderpost beetles). The sole species, Rhyzopertha dominica, is commonly known as the lesser grain borer and is a major worldwide pest of stored cereal grains and peanuts. The genus is characterized by its cylindrical body form and association with dry stored products.
Rhyzopertha dominica
Lesser Grain Borer, American Wheat Weevil, Australian Wheat Weevil, Stored Grain Borer
Rhyzopertha dominica, the lesser grain borer, is a monotypic species in the family Bostrichidae and one of the most destructive pests of stored cereal grains worldwide. It is particularly damaging to wheat, but also infests corn, rice, sorghum, peanuts, and other stored products. The beetle is known for its ability to bore directly into intact kernels, causing both quantitative weight loss and qualitative degradation through contamination. Its global distribution in grain storage facilities makes it a major target of integrated pest management programs, with populations showing increasing resistance to phosphine fumigants and other chemical controls.
Sitophilus oryzae
Rice Weevil
Sitophilus oryzae, commonly known as the rice weevil, is a cosmopolitan stored product pest that infests rice, wheat, maize, and other cereal grains. Adults are small reddish-brown beetles with a distinctive elongated snout and four reddish-brown spots on the elytra. The species has a complete metamorphosis life cycle with egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages, all completed within grain kernels. Females lay eggs inside grains, and larvae develop entirely within the kernel, making infestations difficult to detect until adults emerge.
Tenebroides
Cadelles
Tenebroides is a genus of bark-gnawing beetles in the family Trogossitidae, containing at least 20 described species. The genus includes both native forest-dwelling species and economically significant stored product pests. Tenebroides mauritanicus (the cadelle) is the most extensively studied species, being a major pest of stored grain worldwide. Other species such as T. collaris occur in natural habitats including bark and decaying wood.
Tenebroides mauritanicus
cadelle, cadelle beetle
Tenebroides mauritanicus, the cadelle, is a cosmopolitan stored-product pest beetle in the family Trogossitidae. Adults are exclusively carnivorous, feeding on other insects including flour beetles and false powderpost beetles, while larvae consume grain products and transition to predatory behavior as they develop. The species is notable for its longevity, with adults surviving over 50 days and larvae over 120 days without food. It is the only member of Trogossitidae known to infest stored grain, causing significant damage through both direct feeding and by gnawing holes in packaging that expose food to other pests.
Tribolium
flour beetles
Tribolium is a genus of beetles in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as flour beetles. Several species are major pests of stored grain products worldwide, particularly Tribolium castaneum (red flour beetle) and Tribolium confusum (confused flour beetle). The genus has also become an important model organism in developmental biology and genetics research due to its ease of laboratory rearing and amenability to RNA interference techniques.
Tribolium castaneum
Red Flour Beetle, Rust-red Flour Beetle
Tribolium castaneum, the red flour beetle, is a cosmopolitan pest of stored grain products and a well-established model organism for genetic and developmental research. Adults are small, reddish-brown beetles approximately 3–4 mm in length. The species is notable for its amenability to RNA interference techniques, making it valuable for studying segmentation, body plan development, and gene function. In stored product environments, it causes significant economic damage to flour, cereals, pasta, and other dry goods. Females are polyandrous, mating with multiple males.
Tribolium destructor
destructive flour beetle, dark flour beetle
Tribolium destructor is a stored product pest in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as the destructive or dark flour beetle. It infests stored flour, grain, and other dried starchy materials. Research has examined its reproductive biology, including effects of food quality and mating frequency on fecundity. Its larvae serve as hosts for the gregarine parasite Gregarina confusa, and the species has been used in studies of host-parasite interactions under nutritional stress.
Trogoderma breve
Trogoderma breve is a species of dermestid beetle in the family Dermestidae, subfamily Megatominae. Like other members of the genus Trogoderma, it is associated with stored product environments. The genus Trogoderma includes several significant stored grain pests, most notably the khapra beetle (T. granarium), which is a federally quarantined pest in the United States. Trogoderma species are characterized by their ability to withstand adverse conditions, including extended periods without food.
Trogoderma variabile
warehouse beetle
Trogoderma variabile, commonly known as the warehouse beetle, is a stored product pest in the family Dermestidae. Adults are small beetles averaging about 3.2 mm in length with variable coloration ranging from reddish-brown to dark brown or blackish-brown. The species is highly polyphagous, infesting a wide range of dry goods including cereal products, animal feeds, spices, and nuts. It has been introduced globally and is now established across Europe, Asia, Central America, North America, and Oceania, where it causes significant economic damage in warehouses, granaries, and food storage facilities.
Willowsia buski
damp grain springtail
Willowsia buski is a medium-sized springtail, averaging 1-2 mm in length, with a smooth, dark-purple to black body and a lighter-colored head. It is found in abundance throughout North America and Europe, with likely cosmopolitan distribution. The species is known to infest stored dry goods, particularly grain, when moisture levels are elevated. It belongs to the family Entomobryidae, characterized by four roughly equal antennal segments.