Flat Grain Beetle: Identification, Prevention & Control Made Easy

Flat grain beetles belong to the insect family Silvanidae and the order Coleoptera and are very active pests that can go unnoticed for a period of time (short) until they have caused a great lot of damage.

Their feeding habit is what calls for concern as it is of great economic importance due to the result of their infestation.

In this article, I will be describing the flat grain beetle and also giving you reasons why they must be avoided at all costs.

 

What Does the Flat Grain Beetle Look Like?

Have you ever encountered a flat grain beetle? Do you even know what they look like? Below are noticeable features that can be used to describe the flat grain beetle:

• They have reddish-brown bodies.
• They are slim and flat, which gives them the ability to move between the cereals and grains that they infest.
• The flat grain beetle measures about 1.5 to 2.0 mm.
• One outstanding feature of this bug is that it has a ridge (sublateral carina) on its head and prothorax.
• They have long bead-like antennae.
  • The males have longer antennae, which are almost the same length as their bodies, than the females, whose antennae length is half the length of their bodies.
• Unlike the adults, the larvae can be identified by the following features:
  • They have well-developed legs.
  • They have flattened and stretched-out bodies.
  • They have pale white to yellow-colored bodies.
  • They can reach lengths up to 4 mm in size.
  • They have darkened head capsules.
  • They have 2 appendages at their posterior ends.
  • They have dark urogomphi.

Urogomphi is a paired structure, in the larvae and/or pupae of certain coleopterans, which grows out of the tergum of the last body segment and projects beyond the tip, according to Wiktionary.

 

Read also: Black Flour Beetle: My Recent Discovery About This Pest

 

What is the Flat Grain Beetle Life Cycle?

Before mentioning how to get rid of flat grain beetle, it is important that I describe the lifecycle of this pest. Below is the flat grain beetle life cycle:

• The female flat grain beetle lays about 300 to 350 eggs in crevices or on the seeds of wheat plants.
• The eggs hatch into the larval stage.
  • In the larval stage, the larvae go through 4 stages of development.
• They pupate in cracks and in grain kernels.

The flat grain beetle life cycle is possible under certain temperatures. Yes, temperature is an important factor in the development of these bugs. In fact, a comfortable temperature will allow them to develop faster, whereas a discomforting temperature will allow for slow development.

 

Temperature Chart of the Flat Grain Beetle Life Cycle
The flat grain beetle will develop at a temperature of 21°C to 38°C
Temperature	Development Rate
At 32°C (under optimal conditions)	The development of a generation takes four to five weeks.
At 21°C	The development of a generation takes about two and a half months.
Grain moisture below 12% (under very dry conditions)	Development is still possible.

If you plan on leaving these pests to roam freely in your home and infest, you must know that their lifespan is up to a year even when the temperature is high, hence, prevention and control is inevitable.

 

What is the Economic Importance of the Flat Grain Beetle?

The flat grain beetle or flour mill beetle as they are called are of great economic importance as they tend to cause huge economic losses due to the damage that they inflict on grain items.

These pests will rapidly consume food products, while also contaminating them, and leaving them to spoil. It is even worse when these food products are exposed to poor storage conditions which allows a quicker development of this insect.

 

What Does the Flat Grain Beetle Feed On?

• Wheat
• Beans
• Rice
• Sunflower
• Bulbs
• Cereal
• Maize
• Malt barley
• Cacao
• Nutmeg
• Soybeans
• Filberts
• Sorghum
• Copra
• Citrus pulp
• Cottonseed
• Cowpeas

 

What are the Damage Caused By Flat Grain Beetle?

Damage caused by flat grain beetle can be very enormous, especially if they are allowed to thrive for a long period of time. Below is the damage caused by flat grain beetle:

• Infestation may cause grains to heat up and eventually spoil.
• Infestation will cause contamination which may likely lead to the spread of fungal spores through the grain.
• The flat grain beetles (in their larval and adult stages) will ravagely consume endosperm and germ.

You will notice that these bugs usually cause extensive damage to grain products that have been exposed to high moisture conditions in their storage units.

 

Read also: Sawtoothed Grain Beetles; Facts, Identification and Control

 

How to Prevent the Flat Grain Beetle

After explaining what this bug looks like and the extent to which it can be very pesky, it is now time to mention the possible ways to prevent them as they must be avoided at every possible cost.

Below are the possible strategies to prevent flat grain beetles:

• Constantly monitor (and inspect) your grains for pests.
• Frequently clean the storage facility where your grain products are being kept.
• Ensure to keep your storage facility dry at all times while ensuring that you monitor its temperature as well.
  • You can keep the temperature of your stored product at 10°C to 13°C. This temperature will slow down or even prevent the development of the bugs.
• If you notice that these pests have already infested some food grains, you can start by disposing of the infested ones to avoid further spread of the pests to other food supplies.
• Properly dispose of waste products to prevent these bugs from hiding and thriving in them.
• Use an approved insecticide in your storage facility to get rid of these pests. You can even use heat treatment, but you must ensure that you speak with a pest control expert before doing so.
• Seal cracks gaps, and crevices.
  • Insulate your ceilings, pipes, and walls.
  • Install insect screens in your doors and windows.
• Ensure that your transport and harvesting machinery is frequently cleaned.

 

How To Get Rid of Flat Grain Beetle

Knowing how to get rid of flat grain beetle is very important especially if you own or plan to own a storage facility for your crop and grain products. Below are ways to get rid of flat grain beetles:

• Thermal Treatment:
  • Increase the temperature of your storage facility to 60°C for about 3 minutes (Nothing longer to ensure the safety of your products).
  • Decrease the temperature of your storage facility to -10°C.

Although his method is good, it may not be all effective as these bugs tend to attack in large numbers, making it somewhat impossible to eliminate all of them at once.

• Contact Insecticides:

Making use of contact insecticides like the diatomaceous earth has never been more useful. Although these insecticides do not prevent further infestation from the eggs that are yet to hatch, they will readily eliminate the adults and larvae if properly distributed in the stored material.

• Gaseous Agents:

The use of gaseous agents such as hydrogen phosphide, inert gases, etc., to prevent this pest is also very effective, however, there are certain factors that must be strictly obeyed to ensure its 100% effectiveness.

These factors include the following:

• • Temperature
  • Time of application of treatment
  • Storage facility air-tightness.

Strict compliance with the instructions on pest control product labels is also very important.

 

Read also: The 4 Steps For Effective Grain Beetle Control

 

Conclusion

You may think that these pests will die if they are allowed to thrive without access to food. As useful as this method may be, you must first note that flat grain beetles can go for as long as 18 days without food.

From their feeding habits down to their economic importance and even the damage that these pests cause, it is important that they are controlled and prevented.

Do you have further questions about this pest? Please ask them via the comments section below!

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