Biology of Diaprepes abbreviatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Reared on an Artificial Diet

A method is described for rearing the so-called sugarcane rootstalk borer weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus (L.), on an artificial diet, and its biology on this diet is reported. Females and males emerged after a mean of 381 @+ 4.7 days and 382 @+ 6.4 days, respectively. The mean number of eggs per mass was 69.2 @+ 7.8; the mean number of eggs deposited per female was 6517 @+ 931.1. Females lived a mean of 147 @+ 17.1 days, and males 135 @+ 21.5 days. Virgin females produced a mean of 1910 @+ 349.3 eggs. Most larval hatch occurred 7-8 days after oviposition, with the longest incubation period being 15 days. Hatchling larvae were able to survive for 53 days with adequate moisture.