Description:

4.Maize weevil

Also known as the Greater Rice Weevil. Maize Weevils are frequently regarded as primary pests of grain since they are able to infest otherwise undamaged grain. They have also been seen to infest buckwheat, peas, acorns, chestnuts and cottonseed.

Photo attribution link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1882621

 

Appearance:

It is about 2.5 - 4 mm long. The head has a long slender snout. Resembles rice weevil, only bigger and the red-brown spots on wing covers are more clearly marked. It is a stronger flier than the rice weevil.

 

Lifecycle:

The egg, larva, and pupa stages of these weevils occur in the grain kernels and are rarely seen. Females drill a tiny hole in the grain kernel, deposit an egg in the cavity, then plug the hole with a gelatinous secretion. The egg hatches into a young larva which bores toward the center of the kernel, feeds, grows, and pupates there. New adults bore emergence holes from the inside, then leave to mate and begin a new generation.

 

Habits:

Both larvae and adults will feed upon grain. Weevil-damaged grain can be readily recognized by the presence of large holes which are the exit holes of the emerging adults.

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