The adult weevils have a snout and are about one-fourth inch long. They may be reddish-brown, gray, or almost black. A distinguishing feature is the presence of two spurs on the first joint (femur) of each front leg.
Adult weevils spend the winter in ground trash near old cotton fields. Eggs are laid singly in squares and bolls in punctures made by the weevil's snout. Feeding punctures appear as small uncapped holes, whereas egg-laying punctures are covered with a small wart-like growth. Both types of punctures will cause squares and small bolls to drop.
The white, legless larva feeds and pupates within the square or boll. The development from egg to adult takes 3 weeks. During the growing season the adults emerge from the square or boll; however, some adults of the last generation may remain in bolls during hibernation. Five generations can develop in South Carolina.
