Grain stored pests: fungal feeders

A number of insects that are regularly found in infested stored products are actually fungivorous and feeding on the fungal mycelium growing on damp produce. This provides additional nutrients that are absent or unavailable directly from the commodity itself.

Other species, for example beetles of the families Latridiidae and Mycetophagidae, are mostly obligatory mould feeders and cannot survive on clean dry grain.

Kleemannia plumigera and Kleemannia plumosus are fungus –feeders and occur in mouldy produce and residues in temperate climates.

Fungal feeders are often present on ripening grain and usually die out in storage but may continue to breed on poorly stored grain or in grain heavily infested who other insects.

The presence of large number of fungus-feeding insects in a store may indicate that a quantity of mouldy produce in present and requires attention. Moisture is usually a major problem in most produce stores and on domestic premises, so moulds are a constant problem.
Grain stored pests: fungal feeders