Boll weevil feeding preference for fruits of cotton cultivars at different ages

Abstract

The objective of this work was to assess the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, 1843 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) feeding preference for fruits of two cotton cultivars at different ages. The number of feeding holes was assessed in four laboratory experiments. Cotton bolls from cultivars IAC-20 and Reba P288, at the age of 2, 8 and 12 days were offered to the insects, confined in recipients, with (first experiment) and without (second experiment) possibilities of choice both age and cultivar; without possibilities of choice concerning cultivar and with possibilities of choice concerning age (third experiment); without possibility of choice concerning age and with possibility of choice concerning cultivar (fourth experiment). Boll weevil showed preference for the fruits of IAC-20 cultivar. Insect fed more frequently on fruits at the age of two days, with damage reduction of 23.53% and 78.43% on fruits at the age of 8 and 12 days, respectively.