Life cycle of black vine weevil

Koppert Foundation
3 years ago
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The Black vine weevil is a pest in many ornamental crops as well as in strawberries and other fruit crops. They are about 7 – 10 mm long, brownish black and have dull yellow spots on their back. The larvae of this beetle are difficult to control chemically. Not only because of their secretive habit, but also because of their resistance to many pesticides. Both adult beetles and larvae damage the plants. The beetles are only active at night, taking round bites out of the leaves, starting from the edge. In the first year the female is capable of laying 100 to several thousand eggs. The larvae that emerge from the eggs cause the greatest damage. Young larvae at first feed on organic soil particles but rapidly turn to feeding exclusively on root hairs. The larger they grow, the larger the roots they eat and even the base of the plant stem can be attacked. It leads to the withering and eventual death of the affected plant. By ringing de base of the stem, a single larva is able to kill a plant. After emergence the larvae immediately hide in the soil. The larvae turn into pupae, which eventually become adults. The lifespan of an adult female is 5 to 12 months, but some adults have been known to live for 3 years or more and still lay eggs.