Which stored product pests chew through the seed coat?

• A. Rice and granary
• B. Red and confused flour
• C. Psocids and grain mites
• D. Saw-toothed and merchant grain

Answer: (A)

Pests that chew through the seed coat are internal feeders that access the edible interior of whole grains. The rice weevil and granary weevil are classic examples: they bore into intact kernels, breaching the seed coat to lay eggs inside and develop within the seed. This internal feeding leaves kernels hollow or damaged even when the exterior looks okay.

The other pests listed don’t bore through intact seed coats. Red and confused flour beetles mainly feed on flour and milled products; psocids and grain mites feed on mold and surface residues; saw-toothed grain beetles and merchant grain beetles are more likely to scavenge damaged or exposed grain rather than penetrate a whole seed. Therefore, the pests that chew through the seed coat are the rice weevil and granary weevil.