1. Types and basic attributes
The most common types of weevils are the
- Red Palm Weevil
- Flour Weevil
- Rice Weevil
- Bean Weevil
- Wheat Weevil
- Maize Weevil
Out of these, the red palm weevil has become a destructive pest of date palm in the middle east which causes enormous financial losses to the country and farmers.
2. How they affect our health and well-being
3. Feeding Behavior
Weevils often live and feed inside the food similar to other pantry pests. They will infect and feed on whole grains, rice, nuts, beans, cereals, seeds, corn, other such foods and plants.
4. Breeding pattern, Life-cycle and Lifespan
Female weevil laid high percentage of eggs on the outside of the cotton square, while mated females deposited the majority of eggs inside the square. The females which were mated only once, laid eggs normally for approximately 19 to 21 days and then reverted to an unmated behavior pattern.
All stages (egg, larva, pupa and adult) ae spent inside the food product itself and the life cycle can’t be completed elsewhere. The female deposit about 300 eggs. Eggs hatch in 2 to 5 days into eggless grubs. The larval period varies from 1 to 3 months. The grubs pupate in elongate oval, cylindrical cocoons made of fibrous strand. At the end of the pupation period, which last 14 to 21 days, the adult weevils emerge. Thus the life cycle is about 4 months.
On average, an adult weevil has a lifespan of two to three months depends on the environment condition where it lives. During this period they mate and lay eggs multiple times. A few species of Weevils can produce eggs even without mating.
