Flight and Locomotion Activity of the Sweet potato Weevil (Coleoptera: Brentidae) in Relation to Adult Age, Mating Status, and Starvation

The flight and walking performance of Cylas formicarius (F.) adults were evaluated with respect to their age, mating status, and the degree of starvation by using a flight mill and an actograph system. Males showed a much higher Bight ability than females in all ages tested between 0 and 42 d old after spontaneous exiting from the sweet potato root. Locomotion activity of the male was also higher than that of the female for 0- to 28-d-old adults, but the difference was not as large as that of flight activity. Except for the effects of a 3-d starvation period on locomotion, mating status and starvation with only water for 1-3 d had little affect on flight or locomotion ability. No distinct signs of migratory behavior of adults were detected. Females seemed to disperse mainly by walking because of their extremely low flight ability.