*4.6.12 Broad-horned flour beetle (*Gnatocerus cornutus *(Fabricius, 1798) Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)*

*Distribution*: Broad-horned flour beetle is especially found in Canada and is distributed all over the world.

*Host range*: It is commonly found in granaries, mills, and many other stored grains.

*Bionomics*: The broad-horned flour beetle is slender, elongated beetle, with mandibular broad and stout horns in males. After mating female lays eggs either singly or in batches within the food source. From the eggs larva hatch and then they start feeding and gets converted into an adult again. This species primarily feeds dead insects besides feeding on protein sources. Adults show sexual dimorphism. Horns are absent in females but they are present in males.

*Damage symptoms*: The presence of dead insects inside grains is the prime indication of pest attack.

*4.6.13 Small-eyed flour beetle (*Palorus ratzeburgi *(Wissmann, 1848) Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)*

*Distribution*: Small-eyed flour beetle is cosmopolitan in nature.

*Host range*: This pest generally prefers milled wheat, stored grain, oat products, flour mills. It also feeds on plant and dried animal products such as grain and cereal products. It is mainly a secondary pest, also feeds on fungus, and acts as a scavenger.

*Bionomics:* The small-eyed flour beetle is one of the smallest, flat, shiny, reddishbrown, oblong flour beetles. It is cosmopolitan and is found in ground products where they feed and breed. Eggs laid by adult females are generally sticky due to which they become coated with flour or grain dust. The larva is highly active and moves freely among the foodstuffs. Adult ate usually 2–3 mm in length and are small reddish-brown in color. The larva is generally cylindrical in shape. This pest is considered as one of the smallest flour beetles and they are generally differentiated by the presence of the eye entirely and not incised by the margin of the head.

*Damage symptoms*: Although, damage cannot be assessed clearly, however, quality of stored grains is highly affected.

### *4.6.14 Tobacco beetle or Cigarette beetle (*Lasioderma serricorne *(Fabricius, 1792) Coleoptera: Anobiidae)*

*Distribution*: Although, the Cigarette beetle is a cosmopolitan pest it generally prefers to be in warmer environmental conditions.

*Host range*: It feeds on a wide range of food materials from spices, chocolate, cocoa, and tobacco leaves. The other hosts are paprika, dry dog food, beans, dried fruits, biscuits, grains, peanuts, rice, and vegetables.

*Bionomics*: The cigarette beetles are light brown, oval-shaped beetle, having serrated antennae, strong humped appearance on the head and thorax. Egg-laying occurs either in folds or in crevices of food material. Eggs are mostly oval in shape and white in color but become opaque before hatching. Almost 100–110 eggs are laid by females that hatch in 5–6 days. The larval stage lasts for 20–25 days followed by the pupal stage. The larvae are smaller than the adults and are worm-like hence known as cigarette beetles, and tobacco beetle because of residing inside tobacco. The pest cause damage by making little gallerias. After 25–39 days of larval life, it makes smooth-lined cells under which the pest rests. The newly formed pupa is glossy white but gradually changes to reddish-brown in color after a few days. Females are mainly larger in size than males.

*Damage symptoms*: Both adults and grubs of this pest enter into the tobacco products viz., cigarettes, cheroots, and chewing tobacco. A typical symptom of attack of this pest is the presence of circular pin-sized boreholes on the processed tobacco. Besides this pest also damages cocoa, wheat, cotton seeds, etc.

#### *4.6.15 Drug-store beetle (*Stegobium paniceum *(Linnaeus, 1758) Coleoptera: Anobiidae)*

*Distribution:* Drug-store beetle is generally found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions.

*Host range*: It mainly infests turmeric, ginger, pepper, coriander seeds, cumin, seeds. Adults and grubs mainly attack the grains and seeds. It is frequently seen in drug stores where it can feed and breed. Stored grain foods, seeds, flours are the common hosts of this beetle.

*Bionomics*: The drug-store beetle is an elongate, cylindrical, light brown, with its body covered with fine silky hair. Females lay almost 50–80 eggs inside grains and other stored substances that are later transformed into small white grubs after 8–10 days of hatching. The larval period lasts for 4–5 weeks which is followed by a pupal period of 6–10 days. Larvae then woven cocoons resulted in pupae that gave rise to adult beetles. Adults are pale brown and short-lived.

*Damage symptoms*: Damage caused by the pest is indicated by the presence of circular pinhead-sized boreholes on turmeric, coriander, dry vegetables, and animal matter.
