Major Insect Pests Listed by Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.

Primary Storage Pests

These pests attack undamaged whole grains and develop inside the grains.

Angoumois Grain Moth (Sitotroga cerealella)

Commodity affected : Paddy, Maize, Jowar, Barley, Wheat

Granary Weevil (Sitophilus granarius)

Commodity affected : Rice, Wheat, Sorghum, Barley, Maize

Cigarette beetle (Lasioderma sericorne)

Commodity affected : Wheat flour, Cereal Bran, peanuts, Cocoa beans, Cotton seed, Spices, Ginger, Turmeric, Chili

Pulse Beetle (Callosobruchus C. maculatus chinensis)

Commodity affected : Pulses, bean and gram

Potato Tuber Moth (Pthorimaea operculella)

Commodity affected : Potato

Khapra Beetle (Trogoderma granarium)

Commodity affected : Wheat, Maize, Jowar, Rice, Pulses, oil seeds and oil cakes.

Lesser Grain Borer (Rhyzopertha dominica)

Commodity affected : Rice, Wheat, Maize

Sweet Potato Weevil (Cylas formicarius)

Commodity affected : Sweet Potato

Rice Weevil (Sitophilus oryzae)

Commodity affected : Wheat, rice, maize, jowar, paddy

Peanut bruchid (Caryedon serratus)

Commodity affected : Tamarind, groundnut and other legumes

Secondary Storage Pests

These pests do not attack grain directly, but feed on broken and damaged grain, milled products.

Red Flour Beetle (Trilobium castaneum)

Commodity affected : Broken grain, damaged grain, milled products.

Confused Flour Beetle (Trilobium confusum)

Commodity affected : Broken grain, cereal, millets, milled products

Long headed Flour Beetle (Latheticus oryzae)

Commodity affected : Broken grain, damaged grain, milled products.

Rice Moth (Corcyra cephalonica)

Commodity affected : Rice, Jowar and other millets, whole cereal, cereal products, pulses, oilseeds, nuts, dry fruits, milled spices.

Almond Moth (Ephesta cautella)

Commodity affected : Wheat, rice, maize, jowar, groundnut, spices.

Flat grain beetle (Cryptolestus minutas)

Commodity affected : Rice, Maize, wheat, flours, groundnut

Saw-toothed grain beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis)

Commodity affected : Rice, wheat, maize, cereal products, oilseeds and dry fruits.

Mediterranean Flour Moth (Ephesta kuehniella)

Commodity affected : Flour, nuts, seeds, grains.

Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella)

Commodity affected : Maize, Cereals and cereal products, dry fruits, groundnuts.

Merchant Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus mercator)

Commodity affected : Cereals, dry fruits, chocolate, bran, rice, oats.