Rice weevil
The rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae), a small beetle in the family Curculionidae, is a cosmopolitan pest that infests stored cereal grains such as wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley, rye, and sorghum, causing significant economic losses worldwide by feeding on and damaging kernels internally.[1][2][3] Adults measure 2–3 mm in length, with a reddish-brown to black body featuring four reddish or yellowish spots on the wing covers (elytra), a densely pitted thorax, and a distinctive elongated snout comprising about one-third of the body length; they possess functional wings and are capable of flight, often attracted to lights.[1][4][3] Larvae are legless, cream-colored, and humpbacked with a dark head, developing entirely within the grain kernel after eggs are laid and sealed inside by the female.[1][4] The life cycle, involving complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult), typically completes in 26–32 days under warm conditions (around 27–29°C and 70% relative humidity), though it prolongs in cooler temperatures; females lay an average of 4 eggs per day, totaling 250–400 over their 4–5 month lifespan, with eggs hatching in about 3 days, larvae feeding for 18 days, and pupae lasting 6 days before adults emerge by boring out of the seed.[1][4][2] Both adults and larvae feed on the endosperm of whole grains, reducing them to powder and facilitating secondary infestations by fungi or other pests, while the insect's ability to develop resistance to insecticides like phosphine complicates management.[1][3][2] Originating from India, the rice weevil has spread globally through commerce and is particularly prevalent in warm climates, including the southern United States, where it outcompetes related species like the granary weevil in stored product environments such as silos, warehouses, and processing plants; it does not infest wood or fabrics but can also develop in processed items like macaroni or birdseed.[1][4][3] Notably, adults feign death when disturbed, and the species hosts an intracellular symbiont (Sodalis pierantonius) that supplements essential nutrients, enhancing its adaptability as a stored-product pest.[1][2]Taxonomy and systematics
Scientific classification
The rice weevil is known scientifically as Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus, 1763). The genus name Sitophilus derives from the Greek words sitos (grain) and philos (loving), alluding to its affinity for cereal grains, while the specific epithet oryzae refers to rice (Oryza sativa), one of its primary hosts.[5][6] The taxonomic classification of S. oryzae places it within the following hierarchy:| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Coleoptera |
| Family | Curculionidae |
| Subfamily | Dryophthorinae |
| Genus | Sitophilus |
| Species | S. oryzae |