Araecerus

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Araecerus: /ˌær.iˈsi.rəs/

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Summary

Araecerus fasciculatus, known as the coffee bean weevil, is a small dome-shaped beetle that predominantly affects stored crops, making it an economically significant pest worldwide. With a cosmopolitan distribution and a polyphagous diet, it poses challenges in food storage and quality.

Physical Characteristics

Araecerus fasciculatus can reach a length of about 3–5 millimeters. These small weevils are dome shaped, dark-brown, and mottled with light and dark-brown pubescence. They have slender antennae with the terminal segments forming a club.

Identification Tips

Look for dome-shaped, robust weevils that have a mottled appearance due to their pubescence. Their antennae are slender with an enlarged club at the tip.

Habitat

Tropical and subtropical regions, often found in stored crops and some field crops.

Distribution

Cosmopolitan distribution due to trade, originally native to the Indopacific region.

Diet

Polyphagous; feeds on a wide range of stored goods including corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, nutmeg, dried fruits, and various nuts.

Life Cycle

Adult males become sexually mature 3 days after emerging, and females after 6 days. Egg incubation lasts 3–15 days, with larvae pupating inside seeds. The time from egg to adult varies based on environmental conditions.

Reproduction

Females can lay up to 50 eggs, often in stored products. Larvae bore into seeds, feeding and developing internally before pupating.

Ecosystem Role

Considered a pest in agricultural settings, particularly affecting stored products.

Economic Impact

Significant damage to stored food goods, causing economic loss and reduced quality of products.

Evolution

Significant naming controversies exist, originally described by DeGeer in 1775, but subsequently revised and restored to its original name after confusion over its identification.

Similar Taxa

• Other species within the genus Araecerus
• Members of the family Anthribidae

Misconceptions

It is often believed that A. fasciculatus only damages coffee beans, but it affects many stored products.

Tags

• pest
• beetle
• storage
• agriculture
• Araecerus