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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #428043
Research Project: Managing Invasive Weeds and Insect Pests Using Biologically-Based Methods

Location: Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research

Title: Laboratory rearing of the pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Author
item GRIESHEIMER, JESSICA - University Of Florida
item MARTINI, XAVIER - University Of Florida
item Gaffke, Alexander

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/12/2025
Publication Date: 1/28/2026
Citation: Griesheimer, J.L., Martini, X., Gaffke, A.M. 2026. Laboratory rearing of the pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Florida Entomologist. https://doi.org/10.1515/flaent-2025-0027.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/flaent-2025-0027

Interpretive Summary: The pepper weevil is one of the most devastating pests to pepper production, causing significant hardship to pepper producers. There are very few management options for pepper weevils, with many farmers having to abandon fields when the weevils infestation are high. Research on the weevil is challenging due to its complex life cycle and the inability of researchers to keep colonies of the insect. Scientists at USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida in collaboration with researchers at the University of Florida developed a straightforward rearing protocol for the weevil. This protocol allows for the continuous rearing of the weevil under laboratory conditions, significantly increasing research opportunities for the pest. The ability to keep pepper weevils in laboratory conditions will improve the research output for this pest, and will resulting in increased research for management strategies.

Technical Abstract: The pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the most devastating pests to pepper production and yield, with infested fields commonly losing 100% of yield. Despite being present in the USA for over one century, A. eugenii continues to be a major pest of all pepper cultivars in California, Texas, the southeastern United States, and in Canadian greenhouse pepper production. Laboratory reared colonies of A. eugenii are required to study its life cycle, plant-insect interactions, and management strategies such as biological control, chemical control, and organic methods. However, only a single rearing protocol is available for A. eugenii using artificial leaf balls and artificial diet. This protocol has not been successfully adopted for A. eugenii research. A straightforward protocol for the rearing of A. eugenii with recommendations on selection of pepper stages, rearing conditions, sanitation measures and numbers of individuals needed to maintain a research colony is described.