Kiwifruit-contaminant
Guides
Mecinus pascuorum
plantain weevil
Mecinus pascuorum is a true weevil in the family Curculionidae, commonly known as the plantain weevil. Native to the Palaearctic region, it has been introduced to New Zealand where it has become a regular post-harvest contaminant of kiwifruit. The species is associated with narrow leaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata) as its primary host plant. In New Zealand, it completes one generation per year with a brief immature stage and a long-lived adult stage of approximately 11 months.