Pea Weevil
Pea Weevil Life Stages
Pea Weevil Laying Egg
Adult Pea Weevil Emerging From Pea
Monitoring For Pests with a Sweep Net
HOSTS
- Peas
OVERVIEW
The pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum) is not a true weevil, but a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae.DESCRIPTION
Adults are oval-shaped brown beetles about ¼ inch (5-6 mm) long. Their hard outer wing covering is black and white patterned and does not cover their entire abdomen. Larvae are legless, with white bodies and black heads.
BIOLOGY
Egg | Larva | Pupa | Adult
Female pea weevils deposit small yellow eggs on the outside of pea pods. After hatching, larvae will burrow directly into the pod. The larvae will feed on the pea seed while maturing, eventually consuming most of the seed. Larval feeding inside the peas reduces seed weight, which decreases the quality and market value of the seeds. Pupation occurs inside the pea pod. Adults may remain in the seed to overwinter or emerge to find another location.
SYMPTOMS
Damage can be hard to spot as there may not be any outward signs of infestation until the adult emerges. Regular scouting is essential to monitor pea weevil populations.- Yellow eggs on the outside of pea pods.
SCOUTING
- Use a sweep net to monitor fields.
- Scouting should start at the flowering of the host plant to harvest.
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
- Infested crops, crop residue, and volunteer plants should be destroyed.
- Till or disc the soil after harvest.
- Plant and harvest early.