*Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Center, P O. Box. 112, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, Email: mintie1976@gmail.com (corresponding author)
**Hawassa University, College of Agriculture, Department of Plant and Horticultural Sciences, P.O. Box. 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia
Online published on 24 October, 2019.
Apion clavipes Gerst is economically important pest of mung bean in the low land of North Shewa, Ethiopia. The biology of A. clavipes which commonly feed on mung bean was studied under laboratory condition. Adults and larvae were reared on potted plants in cages under ambient condition (18–25°C). 6.2±0.23 days of pre-oviposition and 4.17±0.17 days of oviposition were observed. A female laid 12.4±0.69 eggs, which required 4.46±0.20 days to hatch. The freshly laid egg is oval and pale white. Larva passed through 15.23±0.47 days. It is apodous, ‘C’ shaped, wrinkled and creamy white with pale brown head. Pupation was completed in 7.96±0.17 days. Pupa is exarate, and pale creamy. Female adults lived longer than male for 37.47±0.63 and 28.45±0.44 days, respectively. The weevil had a total developmental period of 27.64±0.57 and total generation period of 38.02±0.54 days, showing that it can complete up to nine generations per annum under ideal conditions.
Apion clavipes, developmental period, generation period, oviposition, fecundity, egg, larva, pupa, duration, longevity
