Arctic Seed Bug vs Khapra Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Arctic Seed Bug Khapra Beetle
Scientific Name Nysius groenlandicus Trogoderma granarium
Order Hemiptera Coleoptera
Family Lygaeidae Dermestidae
Size 3-5 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Gardens
Diet Seed Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions Greenland, Arctic Canada, Iceland, Svalbard South Asia; quarantine pest worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Arctic Seed Bug

A small, elongate grayish-brown seed bug with a narrow body and prominent eyes. It feeds on seeds and plant sap in Arctic tundra. Adults can tolerate freezing temperatures and are active throughout the short summer.

💡

Did You Know?

This is one of the very few true bugs found in Greenland, where it survives on seeds of the limited Arctic flora.

Khapra Beetle

A small, oval, hairy beetle considered one of the world's most destructive stored-product pests. Larvae can enter dormancy for years.

💡

Did You Know?

It is so destructive that it is on quarantine watchlists in over 60 countries.