Strawberry bud weevil

Definition

A small weevil (Anthonomus signatus) native to North America and a major pest of cultivated strawberries and raspberries. Adults emerge in spring, feed on pollen, and females sever unopened flower buds by chewing a notch in the pedicel, causing the bud to drop. Each female then oviposits into the severed bud and seals the opening with frass, creating a protected nursery for the developing larva. The damage reduces fruit yield directly through bud loss and indirectly through delayed plant compensation. The species overwinters as an adult in leaf litter and field margins.

Etymology

From the host plant (strawberry) and the habit of destroying flower buds; the scientific name Anthonomus derives from Greek anthos (flower) and nomos (pasture or dwelling), referring to the flower-associated life history of the genus.

Example

In commercial strawberry fields, monitoring for strawberry bud weevil injury involves inspecting clipped buds for the diagnostic oviposition plug of packed frass; economic thresholds typically trigger insecticide applications when 2–4 clipped buds per meter of row are detected during the pre-bloom period.

Synonyms

• Anthonomus signatus
• clipper weevil

Related Terms

• bud clipping
• Curculionidae
• anthonomus
• Integrated Pest Management
• Economic threshold
• Overwintering
• frass plug

Usage Notes

The common name is sometimes shortened to 'clipper' in agricultural extension literature, though this risks confusion with other bud-feeding weevils. The species is occasionally reported from Rubus (raspberry/blackberry), but strawberry remains the primary economic host. In field scouting, clipped buds must be distinguished from mechanical damage or feeding by thrips by the presence of the frass-sealed oviposition hole. The species is univoltine in northern ranges and may show partial second generations in the southern United States.