Boll weevil

Definition

A snout beetle (family Curculionidae) whose larvae and adults feed on cotton buds, flowers, and developing bolls, historically the most destructive pest of cotton in the Americas. The species is native to Mesoamerica and spread through the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, causing economic collapse across the Cotton Belt before modern eradication programs suppressed populations in many regions.

Etymology

From 'boll' (the rounded seed capsule of cotton) + 'weevil' (a general name for curculionid beetles).

Example

Adult boll weevils overwinter in leaf litter near cotton fields and emerge in spring to feed on cotton squares, puncturing them with their elongated rostrum and causing the buds to drop.

Synonyms

• Anthonomus grandis

Related Terms

• curculionid
• cotton pest
• Integrated Pest Management
• eradication program
• square damage
• overwintering habitat

Usage Notes

The common name refers specifically to the cotton-feeding species Anthonomus grandis; other Anthonomus species are sometimes called 'boll weevils' in error. The term is frequently used in historical and economic contexts to describe the devastation of Southern U.S. agriculture. Eradication programs have eliminated the pest from much of the United States, though populations persist in Texas border regions and South America.