Arctic Seed Bug vs Saw-toothed Grain Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Arctic Seed Bug Saw-toothed Grain Beetle
Scientific Name Nysius groenlandicus Oryzaephilus surinamensis
Order Hemiptera Coleoptera
Family Lygaeidae Silvanidae
Size 3-5 mm 2.5-3.5 mm
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Gardens
Diet Seed Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions Greenland, Arctic Canada, Iceland, Svalbard 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.

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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.

Saw-toothed Grain Beetle

A slender brown beetle with six tooth-like projections on each side of the thorax. It is a cosmopolitan pest of processed grain products and dried foods.

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Did You Know?

Its flat body allows it to squeeze through incredibly narrow gaps in food packaging.