Maize Weevil

The maize weevil is a species of weevil that is commonly found in maize crops. The larvae damage maize crops by developing within an individual grain, eating it away from the inside out until mature, and then reproducing, releasing more crop-damaging larvae. The maize weevil is a danger to both growing crops and stored maize.

The adult female Maize weevil lays her eggs within the actual grain kernels of the maize at a rate of 25 per day spread over 100 days. The maize weevil bores into the grain with her long snout, deposits her ovipositor and lays a single egg. The eggs hatch in approximately 3 days, depending on the humidity and moisture content of the grain