310 LIFE PARAMETERS OF THE RED PALM WEEVIL, RHYNCHOPHORUS FERRUGINEUS OLIV., ON SUGARCANE AND AN ARTIFICIAL DIET Walid Kaakeh, Ahmed A. Khamis, and Mahmoud M. Abou-Nour Department of Plant Production, UAE University, P. O. Box 17555, Al-Ain, U.A.E. ABSTRACT Various parameters of the life cycle were obtained for the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, reared on stem pieces of sugarcane and on an artificial diet. The average number of eggs deposited per female was 135 eggs (range: 120 – 185) and 185 eggs (range 145-265) for those females reared on an artificial diet and sugarcane, respectively. The average number of eggs deposited per female per day was 2.1 and 3.0 eggs, and the percentage of hatchability (viability of eggs) was 77.7% and 75.1% when females reared on an artificial diet and sugarcane, respectively. The pre-oviposition period was 3.4 d (range: 3 – d) on both food types. The oviposition period for females reared on a diet and sugarcane was 3.7 and 3.6 d (range: 3 4 d), respectively. No significant differences in the developmental time of larvae occurred when reared on a diet (91 D) and sugarcane (82 d). No differences in the developmental time of pupae occurred when larvae reared on a diet (21 d) and sugarcane (19 d). The longevity or developmental time of adults previously reared on sugarcane was significantly longer than those fed on an artificial diet. No significant differences in the development time occurred between males and females reared on either a diet or sugarcane. The generation span (a time period from the pre-oviposition period to emergence of adults from cocoons) was 118.1 d and 107.0 d on a diet and sugarcane, respectively. The mean total number of eggs laid by females, eggs 30 d after one full copulation with males of similar age, and rate of egg hatching decreased significantly with increasing weevil age, and ranged from 65.5 eggs from 1- d-old female to 43.5 eggs from 45-d-old female. The rate of egg hatching also decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing weevil age, and