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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Curculionoidea » Snout and Bark Beetles (Curculionidae) » Hyperinae » Hypera » subgenus Hypera (Hypera subgenus Hypera) » Alfalfa Weevil (Hypera postica)

Species Hypera postica - Alfalfa Weevil

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Hypera postica (Gyllenhal) - Hypera postica

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 Hyperinae

Genus Hypera

No Taxon (subgenus Hypera)

Species postica (Alfalfa Weevil)

Other Common Names

Alfalfa Leaf Weevil

Explanation of Names

Hypera postica (Gyllenhal 1813)

Size

3.0-5.5 mm(1)

Identification

Adult with distinctive dark stripe along the back, larva green with white stripe, similar to clover leaf weevil [the latter cause no serious damage to alfalfa]

Range

Native to Eurasia (Europe to C. Asia)(2), adventive and widespread in NA (across so. Canada & the lower US states) (3)(4)

Food

Adults and larvae feed on alfalfa (3)

Medicago(5)

Remarks

Earliest record in our area: UT 1904(3)

One of the primary defoliators of alfalfa. The parasitic wasps Bathylplectes anurus and B. curculionis have been introduced into the US for biocontrol.

Medicago can repels small weevil larvae attacks by their gladular trichomes. These exudates vary in fluidity and frequency with weather and time of day. They can block the spiracles and adhere to the larvae, making them immobile. (5)

Internet References

Fact sheet (Cook et al. 2004)(3)

Works Cited

1.	Weevils of South Carolina (Coleoptera: Nemonychidae, Attelabidae, Brentidae, Ithyceridae, and Curculionidae). Janet C. Ciegler. 2010. Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. 276 pp.

2.	Coleoptera Poloniae

3.	University of Illinois Extension -- Integrated pest management: Insect information

4.	Bousquet Y., ed. (1991) Checklist of the beetles of Canada and Alaska

5.	Insects and the Plant Surface Barrie Juniper and Sir Richard Southwood. 1986. Edward Arnold Ltd.

Contributed by Boris Büche on 29 March, 2007 - 10:23am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, Ron M., v belov, Marci Hess
Last updated 12 September, 2023 - 9:52am

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