Acorn Weevil
Rosie caught this weevil for me on September 19, 2016. Its body was about the size of a grain of wheat, and the snout was about as long as its entire body.
I like the way that the antennae are actually attached way down at about the midpoint of the snout, and not up near the eyes like they are for most beetles.
Based on the specific shape and color of the snout, I think this is most likely one of the Acorn Weevils in the genus Curculio
In fact, I think that we have already seen the grubs of this type of weevil before, living inside of acorns. Although, now I am kind of wondering about the timing. This adult weevil was found in mid-September, while those grubs were found in early October. According to Iowa State University, the grubs normally come out of the nut, burrow into the ground, overwinter, and then come out as adults in the spring, laying eggs over the summer. With this lifecycle, the only way that finding an adult in September makes sense is if it was a late survival from the summer that simply hadn’t died yet. I suppose it is possible that they keep laying eggs until fairly late.
In addition to hollowing out acorns, they are also known for attacking hickory nuts. We planted some hickory trees out back that are doing pretty well and may start producing nuts within the next few years, I hope that the weevils don’t get all of them.
Comments are closed.
Nice photos. I collected a bunch of acorns for a pet squirrel. Most were housing weevils.