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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sunflower Improvement Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #419849
Research Project: Sunflower Yield, Crop Quality, and Interactions with Biotic and Abiotic Stressors

Location: Sunflower Improvement Research

Title: Biology, ecology, and pest management of the red sunflower seed weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Author
item Cluever, Jeffrey
item BRADSHAW, JEFFREY - University Of Nebraska
item VARENHORST, ADAM - South Dakota State University
item KNODEL, JANET - North Dakota State University
item BEAUZAY, PATRICK - North Dakota State University
item Prasifka, Jarrad

Submitted to: Journal of Integrated Pest Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/30/2025
Publication Date: 4/25/2025
Citation: Cluever, J.D., Bradshaw, J.D., Varenhorst, A.J., Knodel, J., Beauzay, P., Prasifka, J.R. 2025. Biology, ecology, and pest management of the red sunflower seed weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Journal of Integrated Pest Management. 16(1):14. https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmaf004.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmaf004

Interpretive Summary: The red sunflower seed weevil is the most damaging seed-feeding pest of cultivated sunflower in the United States. Feeding by weevil larvae reduces the yields in oilseed sunflowers and can make confection sunflowers unmarketable. Sunflower growers mostly rely on insecticides to limit damage by seed weevils, but insecticide applications can be costly and may interfere with pollination. Insecticides also may not be effective because of weevils’ resistance to some active ingredients. We discuss how weevil biology influences its management and review several low-cost or no-cost strategies to limit weevil damage that can substitute for or work with insecticides.

Technical Abstract: The red sunflower seed weevil, Smicronyx fulvus LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a native pest of cultivated sunflower in North America. Larvae consume a portion of the seed, reducing the amount of extractable oil and the marketability of confection seeds. Aerial application of insecticides during sunflower bloom is the primary method of weevil population management. However, sole reliance on chemical control appears to have led to insecticide resistance and crop failure in some areas. Furthermore, insecticide applications may negatively affect yields in this pollinator-dependent crop. Consequently, a holistic approach to red sunflower seed weevil management is needed. We provide an overview of red sunflower seed weevil biology, ecology and current management practices, including scouting, economic thresholds and insecticides. Complementary tools such as cultural control, biological control and host plant resistance also are discussed as tools to improve management of this pest.