Curculionini

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Superfamily: Curculionoidea
Family: Curculionidae
Subfamily: Curculioninae
Tribe: Curculionini

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Curculionini: //kɜrˌkjʊliˈoʊnɪnaɪ//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Circular (1891) (20627390056) by United States. Bureau of Entomology. Used under a No restrictions license.

Archarius salicivorus (Paykull, 1792) by URSchmidt. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Archarius salicivorus, Fenn's Moss, North Wales, Aug 2010 (18129143529) by Janet Graham. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Willow Gall Weevil - Curculio salicivorus (25740790532) by Line Sabroe from Denmark. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

2021 08 19 Archarius salicivorus by Slimguy. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

1916. Curculionidae. Balaninus sp. Larvae in Quercus californica acorns. (36063345802) by R6, State & Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection. Used under a Public domain license.

Summary

Curculio nucum, the nut weevil, is a significant pest in hazelnut orchards, characterized by its elongated snout and medium size. It has a two-year life cycle, feeding within hazel nuts and laying eggs inside them, thus impacting hazelnut crops.

Physical Characteristics

Medium-sized beetle ranging from 6 to 8.5 mm. The female's snout is as long as the rest of the body, reddish at the end. Males have snouts about 1/3 shorter. Body cover is usually light brown, resembling mature hazelnuts.

Identification Tips

Curculio nucum is often confused with Curculio glandium, which lives on oaks. They can be distinguished by differences in the morphology of the flagellum – C. nucum has broader flagellum segments covered with semi-erect hairs, while C. glandium has adpressed hairs.

Habitat

Found in hazelnut orchards, particularly within the tissues of hazel nuts (Corylus avellana).

Distribution

Occurs in most of Europe, from southern Sweden, Finland, and Great Britain to the Mediterranean.

Diet

Adults feed on hazel buds and leaves. Larvae develop inside hazelnuts, consuming most of the nut's content.

Life Cycle

Life cycle typically lasts two years. Adults emerge in spring, feed until August, and lay eggs in hazelnuts. Larvae feed inside the nuts, exit to burrow into the soil, where they overwinter and undergo metamorphosis.

Reproduction

Females oviposit a single yolk-rich egg in each maturing hazelnut, laying up to 20-30 eggs overall.

Ecosystem Role

Considered a serious pest in hazelnut orchards.

Economic Impact

Curculio nucum is a pest that could affect the yield of hazelnuts, impacting agronomy in nut-producing regions.

Evolution

Part of the glandium clade alongside closely related species like Curculio glandium and C. undulatus.

Similar Taxa

Misconceptions

Often confused with another weevil species, Curculio glandium, though they have distinct morphological differences.