Summary

Calandra granaria (curculionidae). Host: wheat. Wax model of weevil feeding on wheat grain made by model maker R. H. Fowler, June 1941. Display label: the granary weevil is one of the major insect pests of stored grain in Victoria. The model shows an adult weevil chewing a hole in a grain of wheat. The weevil lays an egg in the hole, and the grub that hatches eats out the interior of the grain. The grub pupates within the grain and later emerges as an adult. The life cycle from egg to adult may be as short as four weeks, and a female weevil may lay over 100 eggs. Control: infestation can be prevented by cleaning out, and spraying with malathion, all equipment used to harvest, store and transport grain. Grain that has become infested should be fumigated with a suitable chemical e.g. carbon bisulphide.

Physical Description

Weevil crawling on a piece of grain. A section has been taken out of the grain, near the mouth of the weevil, suggesting that it has been partially eaten. There are two holes drilled into the back of the grain, possibly for mounting the model.

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