Sawtoothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.)

[عبد الرحمن الجارحي]

Classification
Primary pest; grain feeder
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Silvanidae
Acronym: OSU

Description
Adults are small, brown, slender beetles, about 3 mm in length with serrated sides on pronotum.
Adults are very similar morphologically to merchant grain beetle; may be separated from merchant grain beetles based on the width of the temple (narrower in merchant grain beetle).
Larvae are white to pale yellow and flattened.
Similar species
Merchant grain beetle (Oryzaephilus mercator)
Foreign grain beetle (Ahasverus advena)
Commodities affected
Affects oats (beetle is most often found here), wheat, barley, animal feed, flax, sunflower
Affects milled and processed products, dried fruit, packaged foods
May attack a wide variety of foods found in homes, but this may be misidentification of O. Mercator (merchant grain beetle)
Signs of infestation
Severe infestations can cause grain to become overheated contributing to further damage.
Beetles are capable of rapid population buildup in large bulks of grain in heated buildings.
Damage
Damage is generalized and not necessarily identifiable as coming from this particular species.
Both adults and larvae may feed on grain dust and larvae preferentially fed on the germ.
How to control
Control grain insect pests
Geographic range
Is found worldwide and across Canada.
Where found
Is found in granaries, warehouses, elevators and food mills
Is not able to feed on sound kernels, but is able to attack even slightly damaged grain
Is one of the most common grain feeding insects found in grain stored on Canadian farms.
Life history
Pupation occurs either freely or within a cocoon consisting of particles of grain.
This species requires high temperatures, but it can tolerate low relative humidity.
Sawtoothed grain beetle is more cold-hardy than the merchant grain beetle.
Species is able to survive Canadian winters in unheated structures.