The Pepper Weevil - Identification, Biology, and
Management
Paul McLeod
Professor of Entomology
University of Arkansas
Pepper production in Central America provides local producers with
a valuable source of cash. In these areas both the pepper cultivar and
the pepper market are diverse (Fig.1). Jalapeno peppers may be produced
for fresh markets while tobasco peppers are produced for processing. One
of the most noticeable production losses in the jalapeno and tabasco
growing areas of Central America is the occurence of abscised fruit on
the ground under pepper plants (Fig. 2). Although numerous organisms including
several insects and pepper diseases can cause premature fruit drop, often
the most common in the pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii Cano. Impact
of the pepper weevil on pepper, particularly tabasco, production in Central
America is not well documented. In the U.S., however, losses of up to 90%
have been reported in Capsicum peppers (Riley 1997). Inspection of production
fields in Central America also reveals substantial losses. Further, it
is doubtful that any pepper production can be successful in Central America
without managing the pepper weevil. Prior to development of a successful
management program, two key pieces of information must be understood. These
are proper indentification of the insect and a thorough understanding of
its biology.
