Foreign Grain Beetle (Ahasverus Advena)
Facts
- Adults are able to fly well.
- Females can lay up to 8 to 12 eggs per day.
- Adults have an average lifespan of 7 – 8 months.
- The foreign grain beetle does not damage stored grain. It does not feed on the grain itself, but on the mold growing on the grain Its diet is entirely fungi
- Its presence in grain is an indication of moldy grain.
- When moisture accumulates in stored grain over an extended period, it can give rise to mold. This can occur even if the grain was originally dried below thirteen to fifteen percent moisture.
- The presence of fungus feeding insects in grain is an indication of the need to control grain temperature and moisture.
- The beetle can only survive if relative humidity exceeds 70%, so it emerges in higher-humidity conditions.