Granary Weevil
Order: Coleoptera
This weevil is a major pest in the food industry. It is distributed worldwide in the cooler climates.
Description: Adult Granary Weevils are generally 1/8 inch long and are a shiny reddish brown color. Sometimes they are almost black. The snout or beak is characteristically down-turned and elongated. Granary Weevil larvae are white and relatively smooth.
Biology: Female Granary Weevils can lay as many as 250 eggs during her lifetime. The eggs are deposited into holes bored into grain kernels. The larva develops in an average of 19–34 days and upon pupation (5–16 days) will emerge as adult weevils. There are typically four generations per year. The entire life cycle (egg to egg) can be as little as 30 days in optimal conditions.
Habits: Due to the Granary Weevils inability to fly, most of its activity is limited to stored grain products. Because of transportation of grain the weevil is found all over the world. The larva typically requires kernel grains for development though it has been known to develop in caked grain material. This weevil infests all types of grains. Unlike its cousin the Rice Weevil, adult Granary Weevils are not attracted to light. |
