Silvanidae, Latridiidae, Cryptophagidae,

Nitidulidae, Bostrichidae, Ptinidae, Chrysomelidae

subfamily Bruchinae, and Curculionidae.

The combined costs of these pests, not just

financial but in terms of lost livelihoods and even

lives, is enormous, especially in tropical countries,

where a hot, humid climate promotes insect

and fungus growth, and the infrastructure may

make safe storage more difficult. The Western

Australian Department of Agriculture and Food

estimates that a quarter to a third of the world’s

entire grain crop is lost in storage. The United

States Department of Agriculture claims that

10 percent of all food produced in the USA is lost

to pests or pest contamination, and that this may

rise to over 50 percent in some countries.

Although other insects and fungi play a role,

beetles are major culprits in the destruction of

stored products, costing millions of dollars in

damage every year.

above | Tribolium castaneum

(Tenebrionidae) The Red Flour Beetle is

a major pest of starchy foodstuffs, and has

been spread throughout the world.

below | Callosobruchus maculatus

(Chrysomelidae) A bean beetle infesting

mung beans. All they leave behind is

a husk packed with droppings that even

chickens won’t eat.