A female adult can lay over a hundred eggs, and most of them will hatch.
She lays an egg on the surface of a bean, and when the larva emerges about 4 to 8 days later, it burrows into the bean.
During development, the larva feeds on the interior of the bean, eating the tissue just under the surface, leaving a very thin layer through which it will exit when it matures.
It emerges after a larval period of 3 to 7 weeks, depending on conditions.
In colder climates the gestation period is typically longer taking anywhere from 4–13 weeks to emerge.

Larval crowding can occur when up to 8 or 10 larvae feed and grow within one bean.
Crowding limits resources for each individual, leading to longer development time, higher mortality, smaller adult size, and lower fecundity.

Once the beetle emerges as an adult, it may take 24 to 36 hours to mature completely.
The lifespan is 10 to 14 days.
However, in colder climates lifespans typically range from three to four weeks.
The adult requires neither food nor water, but if offered water, sugared water, or yeast, it may consume it.
A female given nutrients may lay more eggs.

The beetle tolerates a range of humidity and temperature, making it adaptable in climates worldwide.
Its developmental time varies with factors such as humidity, temperature, legume type, crowding, and inbreeding levels in the population.
A bean that is too dry will be impossible for the larva to bore into, and wet beans may have fungal growth.
In experiments, a humidity range of 25% to 80% was acceptable, with different optimal levels at each life stage.
The most eggs hatched between 44% and 63% humidity, and 44% produced the highest survival.
The adult lives longer at 81% to 90%.
In another experiment, temperatures of 17 °C (63 °F) and 37 °C (99 °F) with a constant humidity stressed the beetle, and the ideal temperature range was 24 °C (75 °F) to 28 °C (82 °F).

The age of the female at oviposition affects the development and survival of the offspring.
The eggs of older females are less likely to hatch, the larvae take longer to develop, and fewer larvae survive to adulthood.
A female adult can lay over a hundred eggs, and most of them will hatch. She lays an egg on the surface of a bean, and when the larva emerges about 4 to 8 days later, it burrows into the bean. During development, the larva feeds on the interior of the bean, eating the tissue just under the surface, leaving a very thin layer through which it will exit when it matures. It emerges after a larval period of 3 to 7 weeks, depending on conditions. In colder climates the gestation period is typically longer taking anywhere from 4–13 weeks to emerge.
Larval crowding can occur when up to 8 or 10 larvae feed and grow within one bean. Crowding limits resources for each individual, leading to longer development time, higher mortality, smaller adult size, and lower fecundity.
Once the beetle emerges as an adult, it may take 24 to 36 hours to mature completely. The lifespan is 10 to 14 days. However, in colder climates lifespans typically range from three to four weeks. The adult requires neither food nor water, but if offered water, sugared water, or yeast, it may consume it. A female given nutrients may lay more eggs.
The beetle tolerates a range of humidity and temperature, making it adaptable in climates worldwide. Its developmental time varies with factors such as humidity, temperature, legume type, crowding, and inbreeding levels in the population. A bean that is too dry will be impossible for the larva to bore into, and wet beans may have fungal growth. In experiments, a humidity range of 25% to 80% was acceptable, with different optimal levels at each life stage. The most eggs hatched between 44% and 63% humidity, and 44% produced the highest survival. The adult lives longer at 81% to 90%. In another experiment, temperatures of 17 °C (63 °F) and 37 °C (99 °F) with a constant humidity stressed the beetle, and the ideal temperature range was 24 °C (75 °F) to 28 °C (82 °F).
The age of the female at oviposition affects the development and survival of the offspring. The eggs of older females are less likely to hatch, the larvae take longer to develop, and fewer larvae survive to adulthood.
Callosobruchus maculatus