Editing Boll weevil (section)

==Life cycle==
[[image:Bulletin (1904) (20402387206).jpg|thumb|1) [[Dorsum (anatomy)|Dorsal]] view of adult; 2) side view of adult; 3) egg; 4) side view of larva; 5) ventral view of pupa; 6) adult, with wings spread]]
Adult weevils [[overwintering|overwinter]] in well-drained areas in or near cotton fields, and farms after [[diapause]]. They emerge and enter cotton fields from early spring through midsummer, with peak emergence in late spring, and feed on immature cotton bolls.

The boll weevil lays its eggs inside buds and ripening bolls (fruits) of the cotton plants. The female can lay up to 200 eggs over a 10- to 12-day period. The [[oviposition]] leaves wounds on the exterior of the flower bud. The eggs hatch in 3 to 5 days within the cotton squares (larger buds before flowering), feed for 8 to 10 days, and then [[pupate]]. The pupal stage lasts another 5 to 7 days. The lifecycle from egg to adult spans about three weeks during the summer. Under optimal conditions, 8 to 10 generations per season may occur.

Boll weevils begin to die at temperatures at or below {{Convert|-5|°C|°F}}. Research at the [[University of Missouri]] indicates they cannot survive more than an hour at {{Convert|-15|°C|°F}}. The insulation offered by [[leaf litter]], crop residues, and snow may enable the beetle to survive when air temperatures drop to these levels.

Other limitations on boll weevil populations include extreme heat and drought. The weevil's natural predators include [[fire ant]]s, other insects, spiders, birds, and a parasitoid wasp, ''[[Catolaccus grandis]]''. The weevils sometimes emerge from [[diapause]] before cotton buds are available.