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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Pecan weevils: Identifying the sexes

   With all the recent rains we've received, pecan weevils have begun to emerge and are being captured in our traps. The pecan weevil is a member of a group of insects called the snout beetles. As you can see in the photo at right, the pecan weevil has a long proboscis with a pair of antenna attached. This insect can vary in color from rusty brown to brownish grey. The body of and adult weevil is approximately 3/8 inch long.
     Female adults are usually larger than their male counterparts. Females also feature an much longer snout, often stretching longer than the length of her body. Female weevils use their proboscis to puncture the shuck and shell of pecan and hickory nuts. Once they puncture the nut, they insert their ovipositor in the hole and lay 5 to 7 eggs within the nut's shell.