PESTS OF SUNFLOWER :: Minor Pests :: Ash Weevil

10. Ash weevil: Myllocerus sp., (Curculionidae: Coleoptera)

Damage symptoms: Adult weevil causes marginal notching on leaves while the grub feeds on roots causing wilting of plants.

Bionomics: It is grey colour weevil measuring 3-6 mm long.  It lays 360 light yellow coloured eggs in soil at a depth of about 8 cm.  The egg period is 3-5 days.  The grub is apodous, cylindrical measuring 8 mm in length.  The young grub feeds on roots and completes their development in 1-2 months.  It pupates inside the earthen cells.  The pupal period is 7 days.  The life cycle of pest is completed in 6-8 weeks.