Rhyzopertha is a monotypic genus of beetles in the family Bostrichidae, the false powderpost beetles. The sole species, Rhyzopertha dominica, is known commonly as the lesser grain borer, American wheat weevil, Australian wheat weevil, and stored grain borer.Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius). Crop Protection Compendium.
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The rice and maize weevils have a nearly cosmopolitan distribution, occurring throughout the warmer parts of the world. In Europe they are replaced by the temperate Palaearctic wheat weevil.
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Sitophilus is a genus of weevils in the tribe Litosomini. Some species are familiar as pests of stored food products. Notable species include the rice weevil (S. oryzae), wheat weevil (S.
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Plarre, R. (2010). An attempt to reconstruct the natural and cultural history of the granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Eur J Entomol 107, 1-11. The wheat weevil can live on acorns, and may have used them as a host before agriculture made grain plentiful.
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The wheat weevil (Sitophilus granarius), also known as the grain weevil or granary weevil, is an insect that feeds on cereal grains, and is a common pest in many places. It can cause significant damage to harvested stored grains and may drastically decrease crop yields. The females lay many eggs and the larvae eat the inside of the grain kernels.
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Many methods have been attempted to get rid of the wheat weevil, such as pesticides, different methods of masking the odor of the grain with unpleasant scents, and some have even gone as far as introducing predator organisms.Giacinto, G. S., Antonio, D. C., & Giuseppe, R. 2008. Behavioral responses of adult Sitophilus granarius to individual cereal volatiles. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 34: 523-529.
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Some other beetles, although not closely related, bear the name "weevil", such as the biscuit weevil (Stegobium paniceum), which belongs to the family Ptinidae. Many weevils are considered pests because of their ability to damage and kill crops. The grain or wheat weevil (Sitophilus granarius) damages stored grain, as does the maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais) among others. The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) attacks cotton crops; it lays its eggs inside cotton bolls and the larvae eat their way out.
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The geographical origin of R. dominica is still uncertain, however the scientific community has agreed that the Indian subcontinent is its most probable native home, as the region is inhabited by other bostrichid species. Currently, R. dominica has a worldwide distribution, especially in warmer temperate climates zones, between latitude 40° North and South from the equator. It is predominantly found in forested and grain storage environments. As such, human interaction has aided in the widespread of R. dominica through the commercial transportation of grain. A testament to their inhabitation of grain is the acquisition of the name “Australian Wheat Weevil”, symbolizing their predominant infestation of wheat in Australia.
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Shortly after, there was a problem with weevils infesting wheat in Australia which hampered food supplies during the war. In October 1917 he sailed to San Francisco and then to Sydney where he examined the wheat weevil problem along with W.W. Froggatt, the Government entomologist and suggested various measures. He also examined the issue of sheep blowflies Lucilia sericata before setting off from Sydney to England in May 1919. In 1924, Lefroy and his assistant Elizabeth Eades started producing bottles of woodworm treatment fluid from a small factory in Hatton Garden to manage a stream of requests, this led to the formation by them of a company called Rentokil Limited (now Rentokil Initial) in 1925.
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The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, attacks stored grain products worldwide. Insect pests including the Mediterranean flour moth, the Indian mealmoth, the cigarette beetle, the drugstore beetle, the confused flour beetle, the red flour beetle, the merchant grain beetle, the sawtoothed grain beetle, the wheat weevil, the maize weevil and the rice weevil infest stored dry foods such as flour, cereals and pasta. In the home, foodstuffs found to be infested are usually discarded, and storing such products in sealed containers should prevent the problem from reoccurring. The eggs of these insects are likely to go unnoticed, with the larvae being the destructive life stage, and the adult the most noticeable stage.
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Vestia foetida exhibited modest activity in a recent investigation into the insecticidal properties of some plant species native to Chile. Extracts from V. foetida were evaluated against the pest beetle species Sitophilus granarius, the Granary or Wheat Weevil. Total extracts at concentrations of 2.5 percent w/w in diet over a period of 6 days displayed insecticidal effects, with V. foetida causing the mortality of 56 percent of insects (as compared with a more impressive 87.5 percent for Drimys winteri and 80 percent for Lobelia tupa).(2018) Assessment of insecticidal responses of extracts and compounds of Drimys winteri, Lobelia tupa, Viola portalesia and Vestia foetida against the granary weevil Sitophilus granarius Paz, Cristian, Burgos, Viviana, Céspedes-Acuña, Carlos L. et al.
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