Diaprepes abbreviatus
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| Diaprepes abbreviatus C. Linnaeus |
The tropical diaprepes root weevil (Diaprepes abbreviatus) was described for the first time by Carolus Linnaeus as Curculio abbreviatus using individuals collected in the Caribbean Islands, where this insect comes from. It is an agricultural pest in several Caribbean countries. In 1964 this weevil was accidentally introduced in the US state of Florida where it is at present a major pest of citrus. Also known as citrus root weevil and sugarcane rootstock borer weevil, this insect 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 centimetre in length on average. Its elytra are glossy black with large stripes of tiny yellowish-orange scales, and its head and legs are black. It has adhesive pads on its legs which confer the ability to adhere to very smooth surfaces. The larva is a plump pale grub with a dark head, up to 2.5 centimetres in length. A female weevil might lay 5,000 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.
