The sawtoothed grain beetle feeds on a wide variety of items, including milled cereals, dried milk, dried fruit, pasta, nuts, and candies. This species is one of the most important stored product pests in homes and grocery stores. It is worldwide in distribution.

Adult sawtoothed grain beetles have a brown flattened body that is 2.5 to 3 mm long. They crawl about rapidly and have well-developed wings, but have never been observed in flight. Adults have six projections on their thorax as do the merchant grain beetles. It is so similar to the merchant grain beetle that they were once considered the same species. However, in the sawtoothed grain beetle, the eyes are smaller, and the head behind the eyes is not pointed.

The female lays up to 285 eggs, either singly or in clusters. The larvae are yellowish with a brown head and less than 3 mm long when mature. The life cycle can be completed in 30 to 50 days. Adults usually live six to 10 month, but may live longer than three years. There may be as many as six to seven generations per year.

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