Saturday, May 21, 2011

The Face of Weevil

I recently found this weevil on a shrub in the backyard. I think it belongs to the genus Curculio, but I am not sure of the species. Species in that genus often have extremely long snouts, which may be longer than the rest of the body in some females. Weevils in Curculio are associated with nut-bearing trees, such as oaks, hickories, walnuts, birches, and hornbeams. Females use their long snouts to bore into a developing nut or acorn and then lay their eggs inside. Grubs hatch inside the nut or acorn and eventually fall to the ground and mature in the soil.

Prominent Curculio species include Curculio proboscideus, the Large Chestnut Weevil, and Curculio caryae, the Pecan Weevil. I am not sure which species this is, so I am not sure which tree hosts it. The closest potential host to where I found it is a Pin Oak. Farther away, there is a Black Walnut, which may also host Curculio weevils. Either way, as far as I can tell, there is no imminent threat of an infestation. So it is just another interesting backyard insect.