Main Stored Product Pests Species
I. Weevils
A. Rice weevil:
Scientific Name: Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus)
Order/Family: Coleoptera/Curculionidae
Biology: The female rice weevil lays 300-400 eggs in a lifetime (3 to 6 months).
B. Granary weevil:
Scientific Name: Sitophilus granarius (Linnaeus)
Order/Family: Coleoptera/Curculionidae
Biology: The female granary weevil lays up to 250 eggs in a lifetime (7 to 8 months).
II. Beetles
A. Saw-Toothed Grain Beetle:
Scientific Name: Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Linnaeus)
Order/Family: Coleoptera/Cucujidae
Biology: The female deposit up to 285 shiny white eggs over 4 to 5 months (its life is 6-10 months, may be more) in cracks or crevices in the foods they are infesting.
B. Drug-store Beetle:
Scientific Name: Stegobium paniceum (Linnaeus)
Order/Family: Coleoptera/Anobiidae
Biology: The female lay their eggs singly in or near the food they are infesting. The complete life cycle, egg to egg requires about 7 months.
C. Cadelle (Bread Beetle):
Scientific Name: Tenebroides mauritanicus (Linnaeus)
Order/Family: Coleoptera/Ostomatidae
Biology: The female lay as many as 3500 eggs in life time. Eggs are deposited at random in flour or in crevices of food materials.
D. Cigarette Beetle:
Scientific Name: Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius)
Order/Family: Coleoptera/Anobidae
Biology: The female lays 30 to 42 eggs in or near the food materials. The complete life cycle, egg to egg requires about 1 to 3 months.
III. Moths
A. Mediterranean Flour Moth:
Scientific Name: Anagasta kuhniella (Zeller)
Order/Family: Lepidoptera/Pyralidae
Biology: The female lays 116-678 eggs in flour or other food materials. The entire life cycle takes 8 to 10 weeks.
B. Indian meal Moth:
Scientific Name: Plodia interpunctella (Hubner)
Order/Family: Lepidoptera/Pyralidae
Biology: The female lays 100 to 400 eggs over a 1 to 18 day period. The average life cycle takes 25 to 135 days. There are usually 4 to 6 generations per year.
The economic implications of stored product pests:
- They are usually found living in products such as dried fruits, spices, flour, bran, peas, dried vegetables, dried flowers, grain, milled cereal products, nuts, candy, macaroni, cheese, and other similar items.
- They are most important as pests of stored grain, damaging about 10% of the world's grain production.
