Before my trip to Bulgaria last week, I left you with a picture of a Black Vine Weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus, so today, I thought we'd look at weevils in more detail. They are small beetles, usually less than 6mm in length, and they are easily recognisable from their elongated snouts. Most of the 97,000 known species are in the family Curculionidae (the true weevils).
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Unfortunately, many of them are pests, boring into seeds and crops. This one, the Red Palm Weevil, is a big fellow (up to 4cm long) and can excavate a whole metre into palm trees. Originally from tropical Asia, they have spread into Africa and Europe, reaching the Mediterranean in the 1980s. This one, I found dead on my terrace in Crete in June 2016.
This one, Lixus pulverulentus, is a particular favourite of mine. Every April, out in Crete, when the Mallows had grown to a decent size, I would often see these bumbling about on the leaves, looking for a mate. It was a sign that Spring was well and truly underway. Talking of which, today is the Spring Equinox. Winter in the northern hemisphere is finally over.
I'll
let you know about my trip to Bulgaria later in the week but
meanwhile, here a few beetle and weevil books that you may like to
add to your collection.
|
|
|
|
All of the books featured on my posts are now available to view, by category, on one page: Build Your Own Nature Library
Steve
Follow me on Steve's Nature Plus
and also on
Twitter Steve's Nature
Facebook Steve Daniels Naturalists
Instagram Steve Daniels Cumbria
No comments:
Post a Comment