Merchant grain beetle

Natural Habitat

Commonly found in pantries or kitchens, infesting stored food items like cereals, nuts, and dried fruit.

Diet & Feeding

Mainly feeds on oil-rich seeds, nuts, and processed cereals but also preys on the eggs of other stored product pests.

Behavior Patterns

Unlike the similar saw-toothed grain beetle, merchant grain beetles are capable of flight. They have serrated, saw-like edges on their thorax.

Risks & Benefits

They are a significant pest of stored food products, leading to contamination and spoilage of grains and nuts, causing economic loss. They do not bite or sting humans.

Identified on: 5/15/2026