Diaprepes abbreviatus
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| Diaprepes abbreviatus L. |
The citrus root weevil (Diaprepes abbreviatus) is a major agricultural pest weevil in several Caribbean countries and the US state of Florida. It is also known as the diaprepes root weevil and the sugarcane rootstock borer weevil. The weevil is found on many plants besides citrus, including sugarcane, tuber-bearing crops such as potatoes, and many ornamental plants.
The adult citrus root weevil is somewhat variable in size but just over one centimeter in length on average. Its elytra are glossy black with large stripes of tiny yellowish-orange scales, and its head and legs are black. The larva is a plump pale grub with a dark head, up to 2.5 centimeters in length. A female weevil might lay 5000 eggs, depositing them in clusters on leaves, then folding and gluing the leaves together. After a week the larvae emerge from the eggs, fall to the ground, and burrow down to the roots of the host plant. They feed on the roots for several months, which is very damaging to the plant. While the adult weevil does feed on the foliage of the plant, it is the larvae that do the most damage. They often eat the taproot of the plant, which can kill it by depriving it of water and nutrients or by making it vulnerable to infection by fungi, or water moulds such as Phytophthora.
A variety of agents are being studied as possible biological pest control for the weevil, including ants, parasitic wasps, nematodes, at least one virus, and Bacillus thuringiensis. The weevil is difficult to control because each female produces so many offspring.
