Weevil
Curculionoidea
Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.
Weevils are beetles with distinctive snouts. This account follows the rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae), whose larvae develop inside cereal grains.
Magnified photograph of Sitophilus oryzae, the representative described here.
At a glance
- Location
- Rice weevils occur worldwide in stored grain and related food materials.
- Habitat
- Towns and cities
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Food
- Adults eat seeds and cereal products.
Classification
- Common name
- Weevil
- Browse group
- Insects
- Scientific name or taxon
- Curculionoidea
Three things to know
- It is a snouted beetle.
- Larvae develop inside grain.
- Adults can fly.
Habitat and range
Rice weevils occur worldwide in stored grain and related food materials. Warm conditions favour them, while protected storage can support populations in cooler regions.
Appearance and adaptations
Adults are small, dark beetles with four pale reddish patches on the wing covers. The extended snout bears the mouthparts used to prepare and feed from grain.
Diet and behaviour
Adults eat seeds and cereal products. Females place eggs within kernels, where the hidden larvae develop; a new adult later leaves through a small circular hole.
Sources
- Canadian Grain Commission: Rice weevil
- GBIF: Weevil · Directory entry
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