A 1.5-2 mm long beetle, flat, wing covers almost twice as long as wide, reddish-brown, head and neck shield relatively large, long, fine antennae. The slim yellowish-white larvae are freely mobile and grow to 3-4 mm length. The yellowish-white pupa lies in a cocoon.
The female deposits some 100-400 eggs loosely in the infested goods. The development period from egg to beetle is 5-12 weeks, depending on temperature. The beetles develop either inside or outside of grain kernels. They can withstand relatively low and high temperatures.
World-wide, but found mainly in the temperate zones.
Mainly to all types of grain and grain products, but also to rice, dried fruit, ground nut seeds, herbs and oilseed cake. Is found both as a secondary pest, i.e. together with other grain pests, and as a primary pest in grain, as the larvae and beetles damage the whole kernels. Rapid mass reproduction leads to great heat generation in the grain. Severe damage can be done to seeds and brewing barley, as this pest feeds also on the germs.