Oviposition and Feeding Preference of Pales Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for Five Types of Loblolly Pine Bark1

Abstract

Newly emerged and wild-caught pales weevils, Hylobius pales (Herbst), were observed to determine the relative feeding and oviposition preferences of adults for 5 types of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) bark. Bark from twigs and from 30 ft above the ground were preferred more by wild-caught weevils for feeding, but newly emerged weevils preferred bark from 30 ft above the ground for feeding. However, root bark and bark from one ft above the ground were preferred by both newly emerged and wild-caught weevils for oviposition. Of the 5 types tested, seedling bark was least preferred by the weevils for both feeding and oviposition.