Which pest is commonly associated with stored seeds and nuts?

• A. Merchant Grain Beetle
• B. Sawtoothed Grain Beetle
• C. Rice Weevil
• D. Spider Beetle

Answer: (A)

Stored seeds and nuts attract a group of beetles that invade dry, packaged seed and nut products. Among them, the merchant grain beetle is especially tied to seeds and oily seeds, making it a common invade-and-feed pest in stored seeds and nuts. It readily enters cracked packaging and can breed right in seed piles, so you’ll often find it in stored seed lots and nut inventories.

The other pests also show up in stored products, but their typical hosts differ. The sawtoothed grain beetle is more closely associated with cereals and bakery products. The rice weevil tends to attack whole grains and bores into kernels. The spider beetle feeds on a broad range of dried foods, including some nuts and seeds, but it isn’t as specifically emblematic of stored seeds and nuts as the merchant grain beetle.