This stored-product pest damages grain by feeding on seeds.

• A. Red Flour Beetle
• B. Grain Mite
• C. Rice & Granary Weevil
• D. Flour Beetle

Answer: (C)

When grain is damaged by pests that feed inside the seed, you’re dealing with an internal seed feeder. The Rice and Granary Weevils are classic examples: females bore into whole kernels and lay eggs inside, so the larva develops inside the seed. The damage shows up as tiny exit holes and stained or damaged kernels within stored grain, sometimes with a musty odor. This behavior—feeding from inside the seed itself—is what sets them apart from other stored-product pests.

In contrast, pests like flour beetles and red flour beetles primarily attack milled or processed products such as flour, cereals, and crumbs; they don’t typically bore into intact seeds. Grain mites feed on mold and surface contamination on grain rather than feeding inside seeds. So the pest that damages grain by feeding on seeds is the Rice & Granary Weevil.