Category: NOLI
Minimum Life Cycle: Egg to adult 12 days (30°C). Adult female longevity about 70 days.
Fecundity: approximately 280 eggs.
Distribution: Worldwide. Not injurious to stored grain.
Biology:
Most important natural enemy of Sitophilus weevils. Female adults locate weevils inside grain kernels. Female lays eggs inside grain kernel on weevil larvae. Can also attack larvae external to grain. (Host: Sitophilus weevils, bruchid bean weevil, cigarette beetle.)
Anisopteromalus calandrae, a Parasitoid. This parasitoid has been demonstrated to reduce populations of the maize weevil in stored corn. This small pteromalid wasp is now produced commercially for release in grain bins (Figure 29).
(Slide courtesy of USDA, J. Brower.)