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Species Microlarinus lareynii - Puncturevine Seed Weevil

Brown Spikey Looking Beetle - Microlarinus lareynii Microlarinus lareynii Microlarinus lareynii Pale hairy weevil - Microlarinus lareynii Pale hairy weevil - Microlarinus lareynii Pale hairy weevil - Microlarinus lareynii Pale hairy weevil - Microlarinus lareynii Pale hairy weevil - Microlarinus lareynii
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)
Superfamily Curculionoidea
Family Curculionidae (Snout and Bark Beetles)
Subfamily Lixinae
Tribe Lixini
Genus Microlarinus
Species lareynii (Puncturevine Seed Weevil)
Explanation of Names
Microlarinus lareynii (Jacquelin du Val 1852)
Size
2.0-4.5 mm(1)
Identification

Det. Charles W. O'Brien, 2011
Range
native to the Mediterranean, introduced in NA and now widely established in FL and sw. US east to NE-TX) - Map (1)(2), GBIF records from sw US (CA to TX)
Food
on Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) and Jamaica Feverplant (Tribulus cistoides)(1)
Life Cycle
probably 3 generations in CA(1)
Remarks
introduced to control Puncturevine; first released in the US in 1961 (NV & CA, later several other states)(1)
See Also
Microlarinus lypriformis (Wollaston) - slightly smaller and more parallel-sided(1)(3)

Det. V. Belov, 2013