A fluorometric assay to estimate pea leaf weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larval feeding damage using leghaemoglobin in root nodules of faba bean (Fabaceae)

Size-dependent feeding and reproduction by boll weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

The considerable variation in adult size of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman, has been well documented, but the influences of adult size on reproductive rate are not known. We examined the relationship between the size of boll weevils and their feeding and oviposition. Weevils weighed to the nearest milligram were grouped into five categories based on pupal weight: < or =5, 6...

Host plant recognition by the root feeding clover weevil, Sitona lepidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

This study investigated the ability of neonatal larvae of the root-feeding weevil, Sitona lepidus Gyllenhal, to locate white clover Trifolium repens L. (Fabaceae) roots growing in soil and to distinguish them from the roots of other species of clover and a co-occurring grass species. Choice experiments used a combination of invasive techniques and the novel technique of high resolution X-ray mi...

Effects of carbon dioxide on the searching behaviour of the root-feeding clover weevil Sitona lepidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

The respiratory emission of CO2 from roots is frequently proposed as an attractant that allows soil-dwelling insects to locate host plant roots, but this role has recently become less certain. CO2 is emitted from many sources other than roots, so does not necessarily indicate the presence of host plants, and because of the high density of roots in the upper soil layers, spatial gradients may no...

Response of cranberry weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to host plant volatiles.

The oligophagous cranberry weevil, Anthonomus musculus Say, causes economic losses to blueberry growers in New Jersey because females deposit eggs into developing flower buds and subsequent larval feeding damages buds, which fail to produce fruit. A cost-effective and reliable method is needed for monitoring this pest to correctly time insecticide applications. We studied the behavioral and ant...

Sunflower Resistance to the Red Sunflower Seed Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)