Pepper weevil, SEM

Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Pepper weevil (Anthonomus eugenii). Note the wing emerging from the elytra. The pepper weevil is the most important insect pest of pepper in the southern United States. Pepper weevil populations persist only where food plants are available throughout the year thus limiting their range. The female lays eggs singly beneath the surface of the blossom buds or young tender pods. Larvae hatch and are aggressive, with only a single larva surviving within a bud. The pupa is brittle and found within the blossom or fruit. The pupa resembles the adult in form, however the wings are not fully developed. A complete generation requires only 20 to 30 days. Pepper weevil larvae develop only on plants in the family Solanaceae. An important form of damage is destruction of blossom buds and immature pods. Both adult and larval feeding cause bud drop. Magnification: x7 when shortest axis printed at 25