Diversity of Insect Pests from District Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India, with Special Reference to Stored Cereal Grains with New Records

One of the biggest challenges to stored grain is insect infestation. Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Psocoptera are the predominant stored grain pests in Kolhapur district. A survey of stored grain pests was performed across various localities in the study area, where insects were collected and identified to evaluate the diversity of species associated with stored cereals. In total, 20 insect species were documented as damaging cereal grains in storage, of which three are newly recorded in India, seven are new to Maharashtra, and one species was identified only to the genus level. Sitophilus oryzae and Sitotroga cerealella are the principal pests of rice, while Tribolium castaneum and Rhyzopertha dominica are the key secondary pests. This study outlines the significance and diversity of stored grain pests in Kolhapur district. Identifying pest diversity is crucial for developing effective control strategies .