Seasonal abundance, population growth, and within-plant distribution of sweetpotato weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on sweet potato in southern Florida

Abundance and population growth rates of the sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius elegantulus (Summers), were compared on different cultivars of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. (cvs. Campeon, Centennial, Picadito, and Regal) in southern Florida. The within-vine and within-root distributions of the weevil on plants also were determined. Studies were conducted during the cool, dry, winter and the warm, wet, summer growing seasons. Weevils were more abundant and populations increased more rapidly during the summer than during the winter season. Overall, populations increased most rapidly on "Centennial" and least rapidly on "Campeon". The weevil displayed a characteristic within-plant distribution that differed among cultivars.