Larinus curtus
Encyclopedia
Larinus curtus is a species of true weevil
known as the yellow starthistle flower weevil. It is native to Southern Italy, Southern Europe, the Middle East and the Caucasuses. It is used as an agent of biological pest control
against the noxious weed yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) in the United States.
The adult weevil is dark brown or black with light colored mottled hairs on its body. It is about 6 millimeters long. The female lays glossy, milky white, oval-shaped eggs at the bases of open yellow starthistle flowers. The larva
emerges from its egg in a few days and goes inside the flower head
, where it feeds on the developing seeds. A larva is capable of destroying all of the seeds inside a given head, with an average reduction of 96%. The adult feeds on flowers and pollen but probably does little damage to the plant. It is the larva's impact on seed production that helps control the plant's spread.
There have been field reports of large numbers of adult L. curtis feeding on safflower flowers Carthamus tinctorius, but no evidence that larvae have successfully developed on this plant.
This weevil is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean. It was first introduced to the United States as a biocontrol agent in 1992. It is now established throughout the Pacific Northwest
, but in relatively low densities.
Curculionidae
Curculionidae is the family of the "true" weevils . It was formerly recognized in 1998 as the largest of any animal family, with over 40,000 species described worldwide at that time...
known as the yellow starthistle flower weevil. It is native to Southern Italy, Southern Europe, the Middle East and the Caucasuses. It is used as an agent of biological pest control
Biological pest control
Biological control of pests in agriculture is a method of controlling pests that relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms...
against the noxious weed yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) in the United States.
The adult weevil is dark brown or black with light colored mottled hairs on its body. It is about 6 millimeters long. The female lays glossy, milky white, oval-shaped eggs at the bases of open yellow starthistle flowers. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
emerges from its egg in a few days and goes inside the flower head
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
, where it feeds on the developing seeds. A larva is capable of destroying all of the seeds inside a given head, with an average reduction of 96%. The adult feeds on flowers and pollen but probably does little damage to the plant. It is the larva's impact on seed production that helps control the plant's spread.
There have been field reports of large numbers of adult L. curtis feeding on safflower flowers Carthamus tinctorius, but no evidence that larvae have successfully developed on this plant.
This weevil is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean. It was first introduced to the United States as a biocontrol agent in 1992. It is now established throughout the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, but in relatively low densities.
External links
- USACE Biocontrol Profile
- http://www.cal-ipc.org/symposia/archive/pdf/2007/4.1biocontrol-smith.pdf