The cowpea weevil lacks the "snout" of a true weevil.
It is more elongated in shape than other members of the leaf beetle family.
It is reddish-brown overall, with black and gray elytra marked with two central black spots.
The last segment of the abdomen extends out from under the short elytra, and also has two black spots.

The beetle is sexually dimorphic and males are easily distinguished from females.
The females are sometimes larger than males, but this is not true of all strains.
Females are darker overall, while males are brown.
The plate covering the end of the abdomen is large and dark in color along the sides in females, and smaller without the dark areas in males.

There are two morphs of C. maculatus, a flightless form and a flying form.
The flying form is more common in beetles that developed in conditions of high larval density and high temperatures.
The flying form has a longer lifespan and lower fecundity, and the sexes are less dimorphic and can be more difficult to tell apart.

The egg is clear, shiny, oval to spindle-shaped, and about 0.75 millimeters long.
The larva is whitish in color.
The cowpea weevil lacks the "snout" of a true weevil. It is more elongated in shape than other members of the leaf beetle family. It is reddish-brown overall, with black and gray elytra marked with two central black spots. The last segment of the abdomen extends out from under the short elytra, and also has two black spots.
The beetle is sexually dimorphic and males are easily distinguished from females. The females are sometimes larger than males, but this is not true of all strains. Females are darker overall, while males are brown. The plate covering the end of the abdomen is large and dark in color along the sides in females, and smaller without the dark areas in males.
There are two morphs of C. maculatus, a flightless form and a flying form. The flying form is more common in beetles that developed in conditions of high larval density and high temperatures. The flying form has a longer lifespan and lower fecundity, and the sexes are less dimorphic and can be more difficult to tell apart.
The egg is clear, shiny, oval to spindle-shaped, and about 0.75 millimeters long. The larva is whitish in color.
Callosobruchus maculatus