Laboratory rearing of the pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a major pest of pepper production in North America. In order to effectively study potential management strategies focused on its life cycle and behavior, laboratory reared colonies of A. eugenii are required. This laboratory rearing study indicated that female A. eugenii can oviposit for more than 4 weeks on greenhouse grown peppers and generate approximately 25 offspring per female. Store bought peppers did not allow A. eugenii to complete its lifecycle like immature peppers, therefore, pepper plants should be grown to ensure the correct size pepper is used. This study highlights the importance of the pepper fruit stage for the oviposition and successful development of A. eugenii.