Bangasternus

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Superfamily: Curculionoidea
Family: Curculionidae
Subfamily: Lixinae
Tribe: Rhinocyllini
Genus: Bangasternus

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Bangasternus: //bæŋ.ɡəsˈtɜr.nəs//

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Summary

Bangasternus orientalis is a true weevil introduced as a biocontrol agent against yellow starthistle, damaging the plant by feeding on its seeds and is host-specific to Centaurea species.

Physical Characteristics

The adult weevil is brown with a thin coat of light mottled hairs, measuring about 6 millimeters long.

Identification Tips

B. orientalis can be distinguished from Eustenopus villosus and Larinus curtus by its much shorter and blunt snout and shorter body hairs.

Habitat

It is found in semi-arid areas, often associated with yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) in the western United States, particularly in disturbed sites and overgrazed rangeland.

Distribution

Native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean; established throughout the western United States after being introduced as a biocontrol agent in 1985.

Diet

The larvae feed on the flower parts and developing seeds of yellow starthistle and occasionally purple starthistle (Centaurea calcitrapa).

Life Cycle

Overwintering adults appear in spring, laying eggs on young leaves; larvae develop in flower heads and pupate there before emerging as adults to overwinter.

Reproduction

Females can lay up to 470 eggs near the flower heads, gluing them with a dark-colored mucilage.

Ecosystem Role

It acts as a biocontrol agent against the invasive weed yellow starthistle.

Economic Impact

It is used for biological pest control, helping to manage the spread of yellow starthistle, though its impact is less effective compared to other agents.

Collecting Methods

Adults can be collected from spring through early summer.

Evolution

Part of a complex of species within the genus Bangasternus, adapted to specific host plants in the weevil family Curculionidae.