| Lesser clover leaf weevil | |
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| Species: | H. nigrirostris |
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| Hypera nigrirostris (Fabricius, 1775) | |
Hypera nigrirostris, commonly known as the lesser clover leaf weevil, is a species of weevil that is native to Europe and northern Africa and has been introduced to North America and Japan. [1] Both adults and larvae feed on red clover and other plants in the family Fabaceae.
The lesser clover leaf weevil grows to a length of about 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in). The rostrum or beak is three times as long as it is broad, and is notched at its base. The eyes are large, transverse and non-protuberant. The frons is narrower than the rostrum while the pronotum is broad. The proximal ends of the elytra have parallel sides and bear prominent humeral humps. The general colour of the insect is black, with a reddish tinge to the legs and antennae. The pronotum has a greenish-gold sheen and the elytra have a greenish metallic appearance, both being the result of the presence of dissected scales. [1]
The lesser clover leaf weevil is an oligophage, limited to certain plants in the legume family. Its main hosts are red clover (Trifolium pratense), white clover (T. repens) and alsike clover (T. hybridum), but it can also feed on pea, alfalfa and vetch. Adults chew holes in leaves and create hollows in stems, while the larvae target the buds and flowers, each larva damaging some three or four inflorescences. [1]
In northeastern Saskatchewan, adults overwinter in fields of red clover. The insects become active in late April and eggs are laid between early May and mid-July inside the clover shoots, leaves and stipules. The developing larvae pass through four instars and feed on the stipules, buds and inflorescences of the clover. Pupation occurs between late June and August, on the plants or on the ground beneath. When the new generation of adults begin to emerge in late July, the density of the weevil population increases sharply. [2] In Canada, this species is often parasitised by other insects and by an entomopathogenic fungus, which help to keep numbers under control. [3]
Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus Trifolium, consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with highest diversity in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes on mountains in the tropics. They are small annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial herbaceous plants, typically growing up to 30 cm tall. The clover is the color of evergreen. The leaves are trifoliate, cinquefoil, or septfoil, with stipules adnate to the leaf-stalk, and heads or dense spikes of small red, purple, white, or yellow flowers; the small, few-seeded pods are enclosed in the calyx. Other closely related genera often called clovers include Melilotus and Medicago.
Galls or cecidia are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to benign tumors or warts in animals. They can be caused by various parasites, from viruses, fungi and bacteria, to other plants, insects and mites. Plant galls are often highly organized structures so that the cause of the gall can often be determined without the actual agent being identified. This applies particularly to some insect and mite plant galls. The study of plant galls is known as cecidology.
Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than 6 mm in length, and herbivorous. About 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, with most of them in the family Curculionidae. Some other beetles, although not closely related, bear the name "weevil", such as the biscuit weevil, which belongs to the family Ptinidae.
Lythrum salicaria, or purple loosestrife, is a flowering plant belonging to the family Lythraceae. It should not be confused with other plants sharing the name loosestrife that are members of the family Primulaceae. Other names include spiked loosestrife and purple lythrum.
Trifolium pratense, the red clover, is a herbaceous species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwest Africa, but planted and naturalised in many other regions.
The Attelabidae is a widespread family of weevils. They are among the primitive weevils, because of their straight antennae, which are inserted near the base of the rostrum. The prothorax is much narrower than the base of the elytra on the abdomen. Attelabidae and the related family Rhynchitidae are known commonly as the leaf-rolling weevils. Rhynchitidae may be treated as subfamily Rhynchitinae of the Attelabidae.
The palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is one of two species of snout beetle known as the red palm weevil, Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil. The adult beetles are relatively large, ranging between two and four centimeters long, and are usually a rusty red colour—but many colour variants exist and have often been classified as different species. Weevil larvae can excavate holes in the trunks of palm trees up to a metre long, thereby weakening and eventually killing the host plant. As a result, the weevil is considered a major pest in palm plantations, including the coconut palm, date palm and oil palm.
Trifolium hybridum, the alsike clover, is a plant species of the genus Trifolium in the pea family Fabaceae. The stalked, pale pink or whitish flower head grows from the leaf axils, and the trifoliate leaves are unmarked. The plant is up to 40 centimetres (1.3 ft) tall, and is found in fields and on roadsides – it is also grown as fodder. The plant blooms from spring to autumn. Originating in mainland Europe, it has become established as an introduced plant in the British Isles and throughout the temperate regions of the world.
Sitona is a large genus of weevils in the family Curculionidae native to the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Over 100 species have been described. Sitona is easily distinguished from related genera by flat, recumbent scales on the mandibles, by the absence of an oval scar on the mandibles, by short and broad rostrum with a deep, longitudinal, median groove, and by dense scales on the body.
Gonioctena fornicata is a species of broad-shouldered leaf beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Chrysomelinae.
Polydrusus formosus is a species of broad-nosed weevil belonging to the family Curculionidae, subfamily Entiminae.
Apoderus coryli, common name hazel-leaf roller weevil, is a species of leaf-rolling beetles belonging to the family Attelabidae subfamily Attelabinae. Because of the trunk-like elongated head, it is often mistakenly attributed to the weevils.
Hypera postica, commonly known as the alfalfa weevil, is a species of beetle in the superfamily Curculionoidea; it can be found in alfalfa fields throughout Europe. Considered a destructive threat to alfalfa production in North America, several accidental introductions have been successfully countered though the use of a variety of biological control species.
Zygogramma exclamationis, commonly known as the sunflower beetle, is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Zygogramma. It is regarded as a pest of sunflower crops in North America.
Sitona lineatus, commonly known as the pea leaf weevil is a species of weevil with a Palearctic distribution. It is a common pest of beans, peas, and other plants in the family Fabaceae.
Apion apricans is a species of seed weevils native to Europe. It is widespread everywhere. Damages clover and wild. The beetle is 3–3.5 mm in size, black, with a metallic hue, the body is pear-shaped, the legs are partially yellow; rostrum long, almost straight; apex of antennae black, base - red. Egg - 0.3-0.5 mm, yellowish, long, smooth. Larva 2–2.5 mm, white with a creamy hue, curved, dark brown head, on the upper jaws on each side of three growths, the middle of them increased; instead of legs six pairs of small knolls. Pupa 3–3.5 mm, yellowish white.
Trichobaris trinotata, commonly known as the "potato stalk borer", is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America where it is a pest of potato plants, the larvae tunnelling inside their stems.
Lyperobius huttoni is a New Zealand weevil found in alpine areas of the South Island and at sea level around the Wellington coast. It feeds only on speargrass (Aciphylla). Weevils from the endangered Wellington population have been translocated to predator-free Mana Island.
Lyperobius hudsoni is a flightless weevil found in alpine areas of Central Otago and Otago Lakes in the South Island of New Zealand.
Deporaus marginatus, commonly known as the mango leaf-cutting weevil, is a species of leaf weevil in the beetle family Attelabidae. It is a light tan colour with black elytra, and is found in tropical Asia where it is a pest of mango.
