Species of the genus Cryptophagus

Adults are tiny beetles, 2–3 mm long, with a flattened-oval body. Color ranges from reddish-brown to dark brown; the elytra in some species bear yellowish to reddish maculations. In many species, the elytra and pronotum are clothed with fine pubescence. Thoracic characters vary and separate species: the pronotum may be angulate or show a microsculpture of minute projections or denticles. Larvae are active, subcylindrical yet dorsoventrally flattened, yellowish-brown, with a distinct head, well-developed legs, and conspicuous paired urogomphi. The most common species is Cryptophagus varus (Woodroffe & Coombs).

A mycetophagous secondary pest of stored grain. Adults and larvae feed on fungal spores and hyphae; they do not abrade the pericarp, penetrate kernels, or reduce grain mass. The harm is indirect: highly mobile adults act as spore vectors, disseminating molds within the grain bulk—especially in fines and damp pockets—thereby promoting fungal proliferation. Consequences include musty odors, discoloration, caking, and downgrading of lots, alongside sanitation concerns in bins, silos, and processing lines. Its presence typically indicates elevated moisture, poor aeration, or accumulated residues. While it consumes fungi, its movement accelerates mold spread between storage units, increasing quality losses without inflicting direct feeding damage.

Key signs of Cryptophagus spp. (Cryptophagidae) in stored grain: - Damp patches, caking/bridging, and a musty moldy odor; often with visible fungal mycelium/hyphae on kernels or bin surfaces. - Moldy fines/dockage accumulating in pockets, under crusts, or along bin walls and floors. - Concentrations of minute brown “fungus beetles” (adults) and larvae in moist, moldy zones; adults scurry when disturbed and are readily recovered in sievings or aspiration samples. - Increased captures in pitfall or floor traps near moisture hot spots; insect fragments in screens. Note: Wet, moldy grain strongly predicts Cryptophagidae activity, but the inverse is not always true—Cryptophagus spp. may be present without overt moisture or visible mold, sustained by small, hidden microfoci of fungal growth.

Cryptophagus spp., silken fungus beetles of stored grain, are holometabolous. After dispersing flights, long‑lived adults colonize damp, moldy commodities. Females perform oviposition singly, placing eggs on and among fungal hyphae. Embryogenesis proceeds in situ; neonate larvae are mycophagous, grazing hyphae, spores, and moldy fines within the grain bulk. Through successive larval instars they remain cryptic in intergranular niches. Mature larvae pupate within the infested substrate or nearby debris. Teneral adults eclose, sclerotize, then feed, mate, and disperse by flight, closing the cycle.

Cryptophagus spp. favor humid, moldy grain in granaries, warehouses, mills, and cellars; as mycetophagous beetles, they prosper on microfungi under hygrophilous, poorly ventilated conditions—clear sentinels of suboptimal storage hygiene.

None.