Cereal leaf beetle

Oryzaephilus surinamensis

A slender body and the toothed neck shield are the most important identifying features of this small beetle. It is distributed worldwide. It is primarily a dangerous pest of cereals, but it also attacks dough and baked goods, rice, dried fruit, medicinal herbs, spices, chocolate, nuts, tobacco and dried meat. Approx. 3 mm long, slender, flattened beetle, tobacco brown, with 6 pointed teeth on both sides of the pronotum. The female lays approx. 300 eggs in and around the nutrient substrate. Development takes about 3 weeks depending on the temperature. Mass development can occur in warm grain stores. Sensitive to frost and dry air.