Cereal Monster- Sitophilus oryzae

Cereal grains are dry, simple, indehiscent fruits characteristically called caryopsis obtained from the seven members of the family Poaceae. The six most important cereals of the world are wheat, rice, corn, barley, oat and rye. A large percentage of the world population subsists mainly on either wheat, rice or maize, each accounting for nearly a quarter of the world’s total cereal supply and barley, oats, rye, sorghum and millets together makes up the rest. The rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae Linn. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the most important pest probably originated from the Indian subcontinent and spread worldwide through trade. Although it is named ’rice weevils’, these species can infest all kinds of cereal grains and spread through cereal commodities from tropical and sub-tropical countries .This book is an attempt to disseminate knowledge about the abundance and biology of commonly available cereal grain Pests so that its menance can be controlled.