Banana weevil

Definition

A root-feeding weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus, Curculionidae) and the most economically significant insect pest of banana and plantain cultivation worldwide. Adults tunnel into banana corms and pseudostems to oviposit; larvae bore through vascular tissue, causing plant decline, reduced fruit yield, and toppling. The species is pantropical and has spread with banana cultivation to all production regions.

Etymology

From the host plant (banana) plus weevil (Old English wifel, beetle), with scientific epithet sordidus (Latin: dirty, foul) possibly referring to the dull black coloration or its pest status.

Example

In East African highland banana systems, Cosmopolites sordidus populations build up in remnant corms left after harvest, with larval galleries riddling the central cylinder and providing entry points for fungal pathogens.

Synonyms

• banana root borer
• banana borer
• Cosmopolites sordidus

Related Terms

• corm
• pseudostem
• Curculionidae
• Integrated Pest Management
• cosmopolitan distribution
• plantain

Usage Notes

The common name 'banana weevil' is applied exclusively to C. sordidus in agricultural and entomological literature, though other weevils (e.g., Odoiporus longicollis, the pseudostem weevil) also attack bananas. The term 'banana borer' is ambiguous and may refer to C. sordidus or to lepidopteran stem borers in some regions; context determines intended meaning. In strict taxonomic usage, the scientific name is preferred when precision matters.