REARING METHOD FOR HYLOBIUS-RADICIS AND H-PALES (COLEOPTERA, CURCULIONIDAE)

Diets containing ground fresh phloem or ground lyophilized phloem of red pine (Pinus resinosa Aiton) were developed and used successfully for rearing the pine root collar weevil, Hylobius radicis Buchanan, and the pales weevil, Hylobius pales Herbst. Survival from eclosion of first instar to adult on the two diets ranged from 48 to 63% for H. radicis and 58 to 81% for H. pales. Development times from eclosion of first instar to adult for H. pales ranged (mean +/- SEM) from 53.0 +/- 5.3 to 51.5 +/- 6.5 d for females and 49.0 +/-3.8 to 47.9 +/- 5.1 d for males. Development times for H. radicis ranged from 63.6 +/- 5.0 to 67.8 +/- 5.2 d for females and 63.4 +/- 5.0 to 68.2 +/- 6.7 d for males. Mean adult weights did not differ significantly between the two phloem-based diets for either sex or species of weevil.