Pea leaf weevil, Sitona lineatus (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), adult feeding preference and larval development on pulse crop varieties in Montana.

Background: Montana accounts for approximately 45% of US dry pea production and the pea leaf weevil (PLW; Sitona lineatus (L.)) is the most common insect pest in this region. After crop emergence adult PLW feed on the foliage to mature and subsequently mate, and the soil-dwelling larvae feed and develop on the nitrogen-fixing root nodules.