WEEVIL

Common Names: Snout Beetle, Weevil

Scientific Name: Order Coleoptera, family Curculionidae, many species

Size: Adult - 1/10"to 5/8"

Identification: Adult weevils have a head that is elongated into a snout. Antennae are elbowed and clubbed. Mouthparts are attached to the end of the snout. Those having a long curved snout are called curculios. Usually dark and dully colored. Many weevils are flightless because their wing covers are fused.

Biology and life cycle: Complete metamorphosis - eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. Eggs are laid in or on the host plant. Larvae feed and pupate usually within the plant, and the adults later emerge to lay eggs. From one to several generations a year. Some larvae overwinter in the soil. Some species have whitish grubs that feed on roots and pupate in the soil.

Habitat: Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, azaleas, rhododendron, and other ornamental plants.

Feeding Habits: Feed on fruits, nuts, grains, plant roots, and leaves of ornamental and food crops. Larvae do the most serious damage to plant roots.

Economic Importance: Can be quite damaging to ornamentals, food crops, and stored grain.

Natural Control: Birds and predatory insects.

Organic Control: Spray foliage with garlic tea or plant oil product. Apply beneficial nematodes to soil to control larvae. Diatomaceous earth in stored grain or seed will help eliminate the problem.

Insight: There are thousands of species of weevils. This is the largest family of beetles.



 

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