The merchant grain beetle

Merchant grain beetle

Merchant grain beetle

Latin: Oryzaephilus mercator.

Looks somewhat like the saw-toothed grain beetle but differs from it by the size and shape of a small outgrowth behind the eye (p. 50).

In households, it is as common as the saw-toothed grain beetle, but it is not seen in grain stocks. The merchant grain beetle prefers nuts without shells or with damaged shells. It can also live on dried fruit, flour and grain. It does not develop as fast as the saw-toothed grain beetle; there is a 20-fold increase in the population in one month at optimal temperatures. The merchant grain beetle requires slightly higher temperatures than the saw-toothed grain beetle and it is not as cold tolerant.

Merchant grain beetle

( Latin: Oryzaephilus mercator)

Very similar in appearance to the preceding species, and difficult to distinguish.

The present species is not so commonly seen, and seems to like even higher temperatures. It prefers vegetable foods that contain oil, so it is mainly found in imported nuts, almonds and copra.