Cowpea Beetle

Appearance

•  Adults - 3mm long.
•  They are reddish-brown in colour. Their wing covers (known as elytra) are black and grey and have two black spots.
•  The larva is whitish, C - shaped, with a small head.

Lifecycle

•  The eggs laid by the females hatch in 5 to 20 days.
•  Larvae typically take from 2 weeks to 6 months to develop before pupating inside dried peas.
•  Adults may be found outdoors in flowers in early spring.
•  Between six and seven generations may occur per year.

Habits

•  They prefer dried cowpeas but will attack other dried beans and peas in storage.
•  Adults move about readily and can infest seeds in the field, but can also breed continuously in dry, stored cowpeas.