Studies on the biology of the water hyacinth weevil, Neochetina eichhorniae hustache (Coleoptera: curculionidae) at Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Abstract

Detailed studies conducted on the biology of the water hyacinth weevil, Neochetina eichhorniae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) at Raipur, Chhattisgarh during 2016-17 revealed that the life cycle consisted of egg, larva, pupa and adult. There were five larval instars followed by a pre-pupal and pupal stage. Creamish white oval eggs were laid by the female inside leaf laminar tissue or in the tissue of the petiole either singly or in small groups. Larval duration was quite long and observed to be of about 46 days. The pre-pupal and pupal period lasted for about 2 to 3 and 32 days respectively and the total life cycle took about 92 days for completion.