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Australian Wildlife

  Black Vine Weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus)





Black Vine Weevil | Otiorhynchus sulcatus photo
Black Vine Weevil

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BLACK VINE WEEVIL FACTS

Identification
The Black Vine Weevil has a stout rounded body and short snout. It is black with some small yellowish or tan markings. The thorax is finely textured, and elytra are ribbed with ridges running along the length of the body. The antennae are long with elbow about half way along. The legs have enlarged femur. Larvae are legless white to pinkish c-shaped grubs with brown heads. The larvae body segments are hairy and wrinkled.

Other Names
Cyclamen weevil, European strawberry weevil, Root weevil

Size
length 8mm to 11mm

Food
The Black Vine Weevil feeds on over a hundred varieties of plants including fruit, flowers, trees, and woody garden ornamental plants such as Rhododendrons. They feed on foliage, leaving notch marks on the leaf margins. They also attack coniferous seedlings and can cause significant damage in forest nurseries. Weevil larvae attack plant roots.

Breeding
Parthenogenic. Females lay eggs each spring. Eggs hatch after 10 to 14 days and larvae burrow down into the soil and feed on plant roots. Adults can live for three or more years.



Classification
Class:Insecta
Order:Coleoptera
Family:Curculionidae
Genus:Otiorhynchus
Species:sulcatus
Common Name:Black Vine Weevil