Boll Weevil Oviposition Behavior: Multiple Punctured Squares

We hypothesized that the ♀ boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, does not discriminate against squares in which an egg has previously been oviposited. We call this the non-discrimination hypothesis. The objective of this study was to compare the observed distribution of single and multiple eggs/square over a range of infestation levels (0–100%) with theoretical values based on our hypothesis. We observed 28,750 squares and classified 22,526 oviposition punctures in yr 1 and 6500 squares and 3549 oviposition punctures in yr 2. Our data support the non-discrimination hypothesis—the ♀ boll weevil did not detect squares containing an egg and did not discriminate against squares containing an egg. Large samples such as these allow a statistical approach to an understanding of some aspects of insect behavior that can not be obtained from observations of a small sample or of a small number of samples.