)(Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Stefan Vidal INTRODUCTIONPost-harvest losses to storage insect pests such as the maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais have been recognized as an increasingly important problem in Africa (Markham et al., 1994). Mating often occurs within 24 hours of adult emergence from grain kernels. Symptoms & Life Cycle. The life-cycles of the Rice and Maize weevils follow a similar course to that of the Grain weevil. DeTecTion: Life Cycle. 328). The maize weevil is very similar to the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (see Fact Sheet no. Investigation was carried out on developmental biology of S. zeamais on four main cereal crops, maize, rice, sorghum, and millet, under … At 15°C and a grain moisture content of 11.3% the full life-cycle takes 6 months. The maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais), known in the United States as the greater rice weevil, is a species of beetle in the family Curculionidae.It can be found in numerous tropical areas around the world, and in the United States, and is a major pest of maize. host also in uenced the body measurement of maize weevil pupa, with longest body length and width being recorded on maize ( 3.8 ± 0.04 mm and 1.1 ± 0.02 mm) and the shortestbeingobservedonmillet( 3.1 ± 0.06 mm and 1.0 ± 0.06 mm). These weevils are pests of grain throughout the world. Similar species: Sitophilus zeamais – maize weevil, and Sitophilus granarius – granary weevil. The end of the body of the maize weevil is more rounded than that of the LGB, and its mouthparts are 'beak-like' and antennae elbowed. A very destructive weevil, with the adults attacking sound grain, and the adults and the larvae feeding inside them, leaving large cavities and emergence holes. A complex of weevils, the rice (Sitophilus oryza), granary (Sitophilus granarius), and maize (Sitophilus zeamais) weevils, are among the most destructive pests of grains, seeds, and grain products stored in elevators and bins.They probably are not native to North America, but entered in seeds carried by settlers through ports. CONTROL: Assessment of infestations A variety of trapping techniques are available for measuring stored product beetle infestations. under optimal conditions of 27 to 31oC and 40 to 75% R.H., the maize weevil’s life cycle takes 5 to 8 weeks to complete [13, 14]. e food hosts signi cantly in uenced emerging body measurements of adult maize weevil. Both are internal feeders, which means the larva develops inside whole grain kernels. The total life cycle varies from 40-83 days. Contest behaviour of maize weevil larvae when competing within seeds Nelsa Maria P. Guedesa,b, Raul Narciso C. Guedesa,b,*, James F. Campbellb,1, James E. Throneb,1 aDepartamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa b USDA-ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, Manhattan, Kansas article info Article history: Received 23 June 2009 Life cycLe: Adults live 2-3 months Larvae generally not seen – they feed and develop inside single grains Life cycle completed in four weeks at 30°c, 15 weeks at 18°c, breeding stops below 15°c. PDF | Maize borers and shoot fly are the regular pests that occur in three different growing seasons of the crop. The actual length of the life cycle also depends upon the type and quality of grain being infested: for example, in different varieties of maize, mean development periods of S. zeamais at 27°C and 70% RH have been shown to vary from 31 to 37 days. The two species look almost identical without magnification. Rice weevils and maize weevils are about 1/8 inch long and brown. Resistance of maize varieties to the maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch. Females chew into maize grains where they lay their eggs throughout most of their adult life of up to one year, although 50% of … Knowledge of the life history and biology is important to the development of an integrated pest management program. While [15] recorded the mean developmental period of S. zeamais ranging between 33 and 35 days at the mean temperature of 26 ± 2oC, [7] recorded the total developmental period of S. zeamais as 39 The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the most destructive pests of stored cereals. They have densely spaced pits on the pronotum that are round (maize weevil) or elongated (rice weevil).