Rice Weevil Facts & Information

Rice weevils have elongated oval-shaped bodies that can range from reddish brown to black. They have round pits on their thorax and four yellow or red spots on the corners of their forewings. They are uniformly dark brown in colour except for their wing covers, which feature four orange spots. Their thoraxes are covered with rows of punctures that extend down their backs, save for a narrow strip in the middle. Rice weevils can fly and have prominent snouts that protrude from their heads.

Female rice weevils lay about 300 to 400 eggs over the course of their adult lives, a period of time that typically covers four or five months. They chew holes in kernels of grain and deposit their eggs inside. After hatching, immature rice weevils remain housed within the grain and feed on the insides of the kernel. They develop from larvae to pupae before chewing a small, circular exit hole into the grain kernel and emerging as fully mature adults. Unlike adults, rice weevil larvae are white and legless. They have a wrinkled appearance and develop within whole kernels of grain. Consequently, rice weevils are rarely seen during the larval stage of development. Rice weevil larvae are fat, grub-like, legless blobs basically. Their cream-colored body is topped off by a dark head. The length of the rice weevil life cycle is directly affected by the conditions of the surrounding environment. In warmer temperatures, rice weevils may develop from eggs to adults in a matter of weeks. Cooler temperatures, however, significantly lengthen the developmental process. They can infect pantry items quickly so bring in a weevil exterminator if you suspect you’ve got them.

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