This fuzzy acorn weevil can’t crack open acorns like a woodpecker or chomp through them like a squirrel. Instead, she uses her incredibly long snout, called a rostrum, to power-drill through an acorn’s tough and resilient shell. And it's not just lunch on her mind - she's also making a nursery for her babies.
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This tiny, fuzzy acorn weevil can’t crack open acorns like a woodpecker or chomp through them like a squirrel. Instead, she uses her incredibly long snout, called a rostrum, to power-drill through their tough and resilient shell.
The weevil starts by probing an acorn’s surface with her supersensitive antennae. She likes the acorns that are still soft and green. Once she finds a good nut, she begins to chew.
The weevil’s rostrum curves downward to let her bite straight into the acorn she’s standing on. Normally, this would mean the tunnel she makes would also curve. But as the weevil eats, she walks her body in a circle around the hole, drilling an arrow-straight tunnel. The naturally arched rostrum straightens as it drills.
But this weevil has more than lunch on her mind - she’s also making a nursery. A few days after she deposits her eggs, larvae will hatch and chew their way out of the acorn. The larvae quickly burrow beneath the soil for protection, where they remain pupating into adults before emerging to start the cycle over..
--- Are acorn weevils harmful to oak trees?
The weevils have no impact on mature oak trees. The larvae eat what's inside the acorn but don't harm the tree itself.
--- Are acorn weevils pests?
Yes, the weevils are considered pests for many species of oak tree, because they lay their eggs inside the acorn. Those seeds might be less likely to sprout than uninfested acorns. But some may still manage to grow into new oak seedlings.
- Are there other species of weevils?
There are approximately 60,000 species of weevils. Weevils are beetles known for elongated snouts.
--- Do weevils carry disease?
No. Though they are associated with some of the basic foods we consume, weevils are not associated with the transmission of any infectious diseases affecting human beings.
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