Lesser Grain Borer

Natural Habitat

Grain storage facilities, flour mills, and pantries containing stored food products; originally from India but now found globally.

Diet & Feeding

Stored grains, including wheat, rice, corn, and barley, as well as seeds, dried fruits, and tobacco.

Behavior Patterns

They are powerful fliers and strong burrowers; the larvae and adults bore into intact grain kernels to feed and develop inside, making them primary pests of stored products.

Risks & Benefits

Significant risk to food supplies as they damage cereals and produce a characteristic sweet, musty odor in infested products; they provide no known benefits to human environments.

Identified on: 5/31/2026