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  • Sitophilus Oryzae

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    rice weevil

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    Sitophilus oryzae

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    rice weevil

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    378 views4 pages

    Sitophilus Oryzae

    Uploaded by

    vermaipr
    rice weevil

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 4

    Sitophilus oryzae

    Distribution
    Sitophilus Oryzae is also called as Rice weevils. These insects are
    cosmopolitan in distribution and have originated in Far East region.
    They can exist anywhere where physical conditions for growth are
    favourable and the grain is left undisturbed for some time.

    Habit and Habitat


    Sitophilus Oryzae is usually found in grain storages and processing
    plants. They infest wheat, oats, rye, barley, rice, and corn.
    Sometimes, they are also found infesting beans, sunflower seeds
    and dried corn. These insects do not bite nor damage wood.

    Identification
    Weevils have chewing type of mouthparts. The most significant
    identification feature of weevils is their snout, which is pretty long.
    The adult rice weevil is reddish-brown in color. It has irregularly
    shaped pits on its thorax, also four light spots are found on wing
    covers.
    Rice weevils can fly. During larval stage they are legless, white to
    creamy white in color, with a small head. Weevils in the pupa stage
    have snouts just like the adults.
    Life Cycle of Rice weevil
    A single generation can be completed in 28 days. Rice weevils pretend death
    by drawing their legs close to body and remaining silent even when disturbed.
    Egg: Rice weevil lays its eggs in crevices of kernels or dust. Female rice weevil
    lays about 4 eggs/day. During its life span of 5 months, it lays a total of about
    250-400 eggs. The eggs hatch in 3 days.
    Larva: They feed inside the grain kernel for 18 days. The larva is the only stage
    during which the insect grows. Inside the seed, its cuticle hardens and
    matures. It consumes several times its own weight and periodically moults to
    increase in size.

    Pupa: The pupa stage lasts for 6 days. The pupa does not feed. In some
    species, the pupa is enclosed in a cocoon constructed by the larva. The pupa
    goes through great changes both internally and externally. Finally the insect
    emerges out as a developed adult.
    Adult: Adults are between 0.1 and 1.7 cm long. They have three pairs of legs
    and their bodies are divided into head, thorax and abdomen. Adults move and
    penetrate deeply into bulk of grains and get widely distributed.
    * Head includes the mouth parts and sense organs
    * Thorax bears the legs and wings
    * Abdomen contains the reproductive organs
    Feeding habit and development of rice weevil
    Females drill a tiny hole in the grain kernel through whic it deposits its egg and then plugs the hole
    with a gelatinous substance. Inside the grain kernel, the egg hatches into a young larva which migrates
    toward the centre of the grain kernel. Now inside the grain the larva feeds, grows and develops into a
    pupa. The pupa undergoes major internal and external changes inside the grain to develop into an
    adult. The adult emerges out through the hole of emergence. The emerged adults are ready to mate
    and begin their generation. .

    Damage caused by rice weevil


    Rice weevils are the most destructive pests of stored grain and they completely destroy the grain.
    Attack is evidenced by,
    •Surface heating of grain
    •Dampness which may even cause germination
    •Presence of numerous adults

    Control measures to avoid rice weevil


    •Removal of infested food products
    •Discarding heavily infested material
    •Repackaging material into new infection-free containers
    •Placing the products in the freezer for several weeks may help to kill adults and larvae

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