Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
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Curculionoidea
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Snout and Bark Beetles (Curculionidae)
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Lixini
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Microlarinus
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Puncturevine Seed Weevil (Microlarinus lareynii)
Species
Microlarinus lareynii
- Puncturevine Seed Weevil
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
Works Cited
1.
Identification tool for weevil biological control agents of aquatic and terrestrial weeds in the United States and Canada
2.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
3.
Integrated Weed Control Project: Biological control agents
Contributed by
v belov
on 20 November, 2011 - 9:14pm
Additional contributions by
Mike Quinn
Last updated 22 April, 2022 - 10:24am