General Description

· It is distinguished from the rest of the grain insects by its cylindrical shape and small size, as the adult is 2.5 mm long. The body is rough, dark chestnut or glossy black, and there are concave spots on the forewings arranged in the form of lines. The head is curved downwards and is equipped with powerful jaws that enable it to pierce wood and grain. ·  The larva is 2.5-4 mm in length, and white.  It is thick-bodied, cylindrical, and grub-like.  The head is brown and arched and the legs are small. ·  The pupa is whitish in color (it looks like an adult).

Credit: CSIRO

Damage and Economic Implications

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General Description

· The adult length is 3-4 mm. · The adult cannot fly. There are elongated dents on the anterior pronotum. · The color of the adult is dark chestnut or black closely resembles the rice weevil · The larva is 3 mm long, legless, and arched. The head is red-brown and the body is white. ·  The pupa is white with her head down.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• There is no hibernation.
• The insect lives 10 months.
  • The female lays eggs (total of 200-300 eggs) individually in small holes that the female makes through her mouth in the grain, and then covers with a slimy substance.
  • The larva feeds on the contents of the grain, and after completing its growth, it makes a cocoon inside the grain from the particles of the infected grain, and it pupates.
• The adult emerges from a hole in the bean.
• The insect does not develop in grains if the moisture content is less than 10%.
• The generation is about one month in the summer and longer than that in the winter.
• Notes: In areas with high temperatures, the incidence of granary or wheat weevil decreases and the incidence of rice weevil increases.

Damage and Economic Implications

• The larva and the adult insect feed on the stored grain (wheat, rice), dried fruits, grain products, and tobacco leaves.

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General Description

• The adult is 5-7 mm yellow-brown. The forewings are narrow, pointed at both ends, and have black dots. The hind wings are gray and end in the shape of a finger.
• The larva is 5-7 mm long, cylindrical, red at hatching, and white when fully developed.
• The pupa is red or light brown.       
• Life Cycle and Common Characteristics
  • The overwintering occurs at the caterpillar stage in cold regions (there is no overwintering in warm regions).
  • Females lay eggs on grains individually or in groups between rows of corn or in cracks of wheat or barley grains or on wheat spikes in fields with a reddish-white color.
  • The female lays 40-390 eggs.
    • Incubation of eggs from 3-10 days in summer and 20-30 days in winter.
    • The larva feeds on the contents of the bean and weaves silk threads, infecting the bean with one larva.
  • There are 3 ages for the caterpillar (20-24 days).
  • Pupa stage takes about 9-12 days.
  • The adult insect lives 12 days in the summer and 28 days in the winter.
  • The generation period is 5 weeks in the summer and 9-10 weeks in the winter.
  • There are 5-6 generations per year

   

  Damage and Economic 

  

  • It is frequently found on infected grains, and it is fast flying and moving insect.
  • The larvae feed on the starchy materials inside the grain and weave silk threads around it, and the corn grain may lose 15-25% of its weight during the feeding of the larvae, and therefore they cause huge losses to the grain in the store. Also, the germination strength of the grain decreases and the value of flour decreases due to the abundance of feces and other insect parts.
  • The grain is infested by one caterpillar (i.e., significant economic damage).

   

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