The squarenecked beetle feeds on corn, both stored and in the field, and the seed pods of plants, such as cotton bolls, and is generally found in the southern states. It is also a pest in the mid-West, where it is found feeding on stored corn, grains, and sometimes dried fruit. It is found principally infesting wheat and oats in the elevator and the granary, where it usually feeds upon the germ or embryo.

This species is reddish brown in color, flattened in shape and about 2.5 mm long This beetle is similar to the merchant and sawtoothed grain beetles, but does not have projections (“teeth”) on its thorax. The thorax is nearly square. The larval description is the same as for the merchant, sawtoothed and foreign grain beetles. This insect completes its life cycle in about three weeks under favorable conditions.

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