Trunk-borer
Guides
Heilipus
pine weevils
Heilipus is a genus of New World weevils in the family Curculionidae, containing over 280 described species distributed from the southern United States to northern Argentina. The genus is characterized by two primary feeding guilds: seed borers that develop within fruits of Lauraceae, and trunk borers that tunnel into stems of host trees. Several species are significant agricultural pests, particularly of avocado (Persea americana) and other commercial crops. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest has been proposed as a possible center of origin for the genus based on high diversity of both weevils and host plants.