Warehouse Pirate Bug Category: NOLI Minimum Life Cycle: Egg to adult 16 days (30°C). Adult female longevity is five to six weeks. Fecundity: approximately 150 eggs. Distribution: Widespread and common in grain storage. Not injurious to stored grain. Biology: Most important predatory insect in grain storage. Nymphs and adults prey on eggs, larvae, and pupae of many species of grain insects. Warehouse Pirate Bug (Xylocoris flavipes). This predator is an anthocorid bug that is commonly found in storages. This insect shows considerable promise as a biological control agent since it preys on moths as well as several important beetle species, such as red and confused flour beetles and sawtoothed grain beetles. This predator also is produced commercially for release in grain bins (Figure 30). (Slide courtesy of USDA, J. Brower.)

Figure 30. Warehouse pirate bug (Predator).

Index for the Interpretive Line Slides for Insects Chapter 13, Stored Product Management E-912, Stored Product Management Main Home Page P*E*A*R*L (OCES Online Publications) Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Oklahoma State University