Vine weevil

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Black vine weevil
Otiorhynchus sulcatus 23-8-2007 20-10-41.JPG
Otiorhynchus sulcatus on millimeter graph paper
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Curculionidae
Genus: Otiorhynchus
Species:
O. sulcatus
Binomial name
Otiorhynchus sulcatus
(Fabricius, 1775)

The black vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is an insect native to Europe but common in North America as well. It is a pest of many garden plants.

Contents

Overview

The adult weevil is matte black with fused wing covers, and is unable to fly. It feeds at night on the outer edges of leaves, causing the leaves to have a notched margin. Broadleaved evergreen plants such as Camellia, Rhododendron, Euonymus and Bergenia are particularly prone to damage, although a wide range of different garden plants are susceptible to attack. [1]

Black Vine Weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus).jpg

Female weevils have the ability to reproduce parthenogenetically [2] with fertilisation of eggs required to produce males, though no males have been observed. [3] This form of parthenogenesis is known as thelytoky. Grubs grow up to 1 cm in length, have a slightly curved, legless body and are creamy white in colour with a tan-brown head. They live below the soil surface, and feed on roots and cambium at the base of trunks. They mostly cause damage to herbaceous plants, particularly those growing in containers, where root growth is restricted. Severe infestations can result in complete root destruction and hence plant death.

Host plants

Their host plant genera include:

Controls

Grubs (larvae) Otiorhynchus sulcatus PICT3373.jpg
Grubs (larvae)

The soil dwelling grubs can be difficult to control with chemical insecticides, and products showing some efficacy, such as chlorpyrifos, have been withdrawn from many markets, especially garden centres. Besides their environmental benefits, certain 'cruiser' entomopathogenic nematode species (see below) have the additional capacity to search for their prey underground.

Adult weevils can be controlled by using sticky barriers on the trunks of affected plants, as the weevils return to the soil each day.

Adults can also be manually removed from plants at night when they can be found feeding on leaf edges. Use only a dim torch or candlelight to search by, as they will drop to the ground if startled by bright light.

Biological controls

Larvae can be controlled using parasitic nematodes, for example Steinernema kraussei and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (a 'cruiser' species), which can be bought from some garden centres and by mail order. [4] They are mixed with water and watered onto the soil.

Adults may also be controlled using products based on the fungi Metarhizium brunneum and Beauveria bassiana .

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Bergenia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae

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<i>Euonymus europaeus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Diaprepes abbreviatus</i> Species of beetle

Diaprepes abbreviatus, also known as the diaprepes root weevil, citrus root weevil and sugarcane rootstock borer weevil, is a species of weevil that is native to the Caribbean, where in Spanish it is colloquially called chichí. It has become an invasive pest in several locations in the United States.

<i>Hylobius abietis</i> Species of beetle

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<i>Pittosporum tenuifolium</i> Species of tree

Pittosporum tenuifolium is a small evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand – up to 10 m (33 ft) – commonly known as kōhūhū and black matipo, and by other Māori names kohukohu and tawhiwhi. Its small, very dark, reddish-purple flowers generally go unnoticed, and are scented only at night. The Latin tenuifolium means "slender-leaved"

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<i>Pratylenchus penetrans</i> Species of roundworm

Pratylenchus penetrans is a species of nematode in the genus Pratylenchus, the lesion nematodes. It occurs in temperate regions worldwide, regions between the subtropics and the polar circles. It is an animal that inhabits the roots of a wide variety of plants and results in necrotic lesions on the roots. Symptoms of P. penetrans make it hard to distinguish from other plant pathogens; only an assay of soil can conclusively diagnose a nematode problem in the field. P. penetrans is physically very similar to other nematode species, but is characterized by its highly distinctive mouthpiece. P. penetrans uses its highly modified mouth organs to rupture the outer surface of subterranean plant root structures. It will then enter into the root interior and feed on the plant tissue inside. P. penetrans is considered to be a crop parasite and farmers will often treat their soil with various pesticides in an attempt to eliminate the damage caused by an infestation. In doing this, farmers will also eliminate many of the beneficial soil fauna, which will lead to an overall degradation of soil quality in the future. Alternative, more environmentally sustainable methods to control P. penetrans populations may be possible in certain regions.

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<i>Rhododendron arboreum</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Otiorhynchus</i> Genus of beetles

Otiorhynchus is a large genus of weevils in the family Curculionidae. Many species of the genus, particularly the black vine weevil and the strawberry root weevil, are important pests, both as larvae and as adults. Larvae feed on plant roots. Adults are flightless with fused elytra and feed at night on plant foliage. In many species of the genus at least some races are polyploid and parthenogenetic, while the rest of the races and species are diploid and bisexual. Otiorhynchus weevils, particularly O. scaber, have been a popular subject for studies of the evolution of parthenogenesis. The genus is native to the Palearctic region. However, sixteen species were inadvertently introduced to North America and have become widespread there.

<i>Otiorhynchus ovatus</i> Species of beetle

Otiorhynchus ovatus, the strawberry root weevil, is one of the many species in the weevil family (Curculionidae), occurring across Canada and the northern United States. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Its name comes from its affinity for strawberry plants, which form a large part of its diet. They are, however, known to feed on other plants as well. Occasionally the larvae cause serious damage to seedlings and young transplants in plantations and nurseries. It is known to be one of the major pests threatening sub-tropical strawberry farming.

<i>Lixus concavus</i> Species of beetle

Lixus concavus, commonly called the rhubarb curculio, is a species of weevil. Rhubarb is a host, together with dock, sunflower, and thistle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kudzu in the United States</span> Plant invasion

Kudzu is an invasive plant species in the United States, introduced from Asia with devastating environmental consequences, earning it the nickname "the vine that ate the South". It has been spreading rapidly in the Southern United States, "easily outpacing the use of herbicide, spraying, and mowing, as well increasing the costs of these controls by $6 million annually". Estimates of the vine's spread vary, from the United States Forest Service's 2015 estimate of 2,500 acres per year to the Department of Agriculture's estimate of as much as 150,000 acres annually.

<i>Otiorhynchus armadillo</i> Species of weevil

Otiorhynchus armadillo is a species of broad-nosed weevil belonging to the family Curculionidae, subfamily Entiminae.

<i>Otiorhynchus vehemens</i> Species of beetle

Otiorhynchus vehemens is a species of broad-nosed weevils belonging to the family Curculionidae, subfamily Entiminae.

<i>Otiorhynchus meridionalis</i> Species of beetle

Otiorhynchus meridionalis, the lilac root weevil, is a species of broad-nosed weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America. Lilac root wevils are shiny, brownish-black beetles, about 0.25 inches (0.6 cm) with long snout (rostrum) and geniculate (elbowed) antennae. They are common landscape pests, feeding on lilac, euonymous and peonies.

Holotrichia disparilis is a species of chafer found in Sri Lanka.

References

  1. "Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Curculionidae) - the black vine weevil". www.forestry.ubc.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  2. "FruitDisease - Entomology, vine weevils". www.fruitdisease.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2017-05-07. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  3. "Black Vine Weevil" (PDF). 2003. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-11-29.
  4. "Black Vine Weevil". University of Illinois Extension. Archived from the original on 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2009-12-29.