The maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais), known in the United States as the greater rice weevil, [1] [2] is a species of beetle in the family Curculionidae. It can be found in numerous tropical areas around the world, and in the United States, and is a major pest of maize. [3]

Jan 24, 2024 · They're usually colored reddish-brown to black, and some have patterns on their wings. These insects have hard-shelled bodies with tiny holes or pits. They're commonly found in gardens and fields.

Adult maize weevils are 3 – 3.5 mm long, dark brown – black in colour and shiny and pitted with numerous punctures. The punctures on the thorax are in an irregular pattern while those on the elytra (wing cases) are in lines.

Jun 27, 2023 · Similar to rice weevils, maize weevils (Sitophilus zeamais) are red-brown to black in color with red or yellow spots on their wings, and they range in size from 1/16 to ⅛ inch long. Their ...

Feb 17, 2022 · The maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais) is a major pest of corn, particularly in subtropical and tropical regions. In the southeastern United States, it is among the most damaging pests corn growers face, costing the agricultural industry millions of dollars annually.

Jan 4, 2025 · With a smaller snout than the granary weevil, it has a dull reddish-brown to black color. The thorax is pitted with a smooth thin strip running down its dorsal. While very similar to the rice weevil, the maize weevil is often slightly larger.

Apr 14, 2023 · The maize weevil is a small snout beetle which varies in size, averaging about three thirty-seconds inch in length. It varies from dull red-brown to nearly black and is usually marked on the back with four light reddish or yellowish spots.

The maize weevil (S. zeamais, Motsch) is a small reddish-brown to black beetle with about 2.5–5mm in length (Kasozi, 2013). From: Storage of Cereal Grains and Their Products, 2022

Reaching a length of 3 to 3.5 mm. It varies from dull red-brown to nearly black and is usually marked on the back with four light reddish or yellowish spots. The pronotum is densely pitted with irregularly shaped punctures, except for a smooth narrow dorsal strip.

Interpretive Summary: The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais is an important pest of stored grains world-wide. Adults and larvae can survive on a wide variety of food substances, but are predominantly a pest of corn, wheat, rice, and sorghum.