The pea leaf weevil, Sitona lineatus L. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), is a significant pest of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and broad bean (Vicia faba L.) crops throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and North America and it has recently become an established pest in the Canadian prairies. The geographical expansion and current distribution of S. lineatus, its life history, economic impact and control strategies are reviewed. Primary hosts of the pea leaf weevil, on which pre-imaginal development can occur, are identified, in addition to its secondary hosts, which provide nourishment for adults when not in their reproductive phase. The importance of pheromones and host plant volatile compounds for mate finding and host plant location is reviewed. Research on control strategies for S. lineatus is summarized, but to date surprisingly little effort has been expended to develop and implement integrated pest management (IPM) programmes, even though combining insecticide use with host plant resistance, cultural and biological control strategies promises to enhance its management. The development of an effective population monitoring system for pea leaf weevil, scientifically derived economic threshold values, and designing an IPM programme for S. lineatus comprise the most critical research needs for improving the sustainable management of this insect.

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The pea leaf weevil (Sitona lineatus L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a serious pest of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) (Fabales: Fabaceae) in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. Foliar feeding by adults and root nodule consumption by larvae reduces seed yield and N contributions to the soil. Foliar insecticides have limited efficacy against pea leaf weevil, prompting this study to investigate an integrated approach. Nitrogen fertilizer, Rhizobium inoculant, and thiamethoxam (systemic insecticide) were assessed alone and in combination for their effects on pea leaf weevil damage to field pea plants and seed yield. Nitrogen fertilizer did not reduce foliar feeding but did reduce root nodules by 35 to 43%. In 2008 only, N fertilizer improved yield by 0.48 t ha−1 relative to nonfertilized plots. Thiamethoxam seed treatment reduced foliar feeding for 40 to 50 d after planting in 2008 and 2009 but had no significant impact on seed yield. Rhizobium inoculation increased yield by 0.74 t ha −1 compared to noninoculated plots in 2008. No effects of N fertilizer, Rhizobium inoculant or thiamethoxam on yield were observed in 2009, probably because root nodule damage was not affected by any treatment. Results of this study suggest that the most efficient method of preventing yield loss due to S. lineatus infestation is to inoculate field peas. Further investigation of thiamethoxam, preferably in large‐scale production systems, is required to better understand the efficacy of thiamethoxam against pea leaf weevil.