Sawtoothed Grain Beetle

Natural Habitat

Commonly found in stored food products, pantries, warehouses, and grocery stores. Thrives in dry, warm environments where food is abundant.

Diet & Feeding

Feeds on a wide variety of stored dry foods, including grains (oats, corn, wheat), cereals, pasta, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, pet food, and even tobacco. It cannot feed on whole or undamaged kernels.

Behavior Patterns

These beetles are highly mobile and can quickly infest new food sources. They breed rapidly, with females laying 45-285 eggs directly onto food. The entire life cycle from egg to adult can be as short as 20 days under optimal conditions. Adults can live for 6-10 months. They are attracted to light but prefer dark, secluded areas within food packages.

Risks & Benefits

Potential Risks: Significant pest of stored food products, causing contamination and economic losses. They do not bite or sting humans and are not known to transmit diseases, but their presence can ruin food and cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals due to frass and shed skins. Potential Benefits: No known direct benefits to humans or the ecosystem; primarily considered a pest species.

Identified on: 9/5/2025