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Options for Management of Diaprepes in Florida Citrus
By Phil Stansly
Southwest Florida Research and Education Center
Immokalee, Florida
Printer Friendly Version (facts.pdf 293kb Requires Acrobat Reader)
Before attempting to manage Diaprepes it is important to understand its life cycle. Citrus is only one of a large number of host plants used by this beetle. Adults feed on young flush which is necessary for egg development. Eggs are laid in adjacent older flush, sandwiched between two leaves. Eggs generally hatch
within 2 weeks and “neonate” larvae drop to the ground where they attempt to dig in an find feeder roots to feed on. Larvae feed on successively larger roots as they develop over a period of from 4 months to a year or more. They pupate in the soil and may emerge in as little as 2 weeks when conditions are favorable, or linger in the soil when they are not.
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