Curculio glandium

This insect has so many peculiar features but I think my favorite is that long "nose" with that funny twin antenna, I wonder what are those antenna for...

comments (9)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

I love it. The nose (rostrum) is for piercing food (acorns), the antennae I would expect to be used to sense and navigate the environment. Posted 3 years ago

Christine Young

Lion

Their rostrum is quite amazing! It's super strong, but also very flexible. They are made of alternating layers of hard and soft material, which are arranged in a helix pattern (like DNA). Strong enough to drill through an acorn, but flexible so it won't break! Perfect.

After drilling a hole in an acorn, she lays her eggs in the hole and plugs it with excrement. The acorn eventually self-heals the wound. The larvae eat the inner part of the nut, and then chew a tiny escape hole through which they squeeze. The hole is so small that the larva struggles to squirm and wiggle its plump little body through the opening. Once free, it buries itself in the soil, pupates, and waits to metamorphize into an adult weevil.

Here's a video of a larva squeezing out of an acorn:

Probably too much information, lol. But, weevils are so cool! Posted 3 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  Great photo, btw! Posted 3 years ago
2. Flavio
  
  Lion
  
  Wow, that's incredible. Thanks for this great piece of knowledge ;-) Posted 3 years ago
3. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    You're welcome! Posted 3 years ago

RMFelix

Lion

Very fine photo! Antennae are sensory organs that play an important sensory function in insects, being able to identify odors (especially feromons), tastes, sounds and assist in balance, since insects do not have another organ that takes the place of the nose. They have special cells, adapted to perceive and identify chemical substances. Indulge me the question, Flavio: Why Curculio glandium? Doesn't seems a straight match just looking to the Scutellum, overall shape of the entire body, or ornamentation. Moreover C. elephas can be other wild guess, too. But in this case, like so many other cases, not having a strong evidence for the identification, it is better not to take that risk. Posted 3 years ago, modified 3 years ago
1. Flavio
  
  Lion
  
  First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to analyze my photos. Usually I use inaturalist and "picture insect" apps to help me identify the species I photograph, and in this case both apps returned Curculio glandium so I guessed it was correct, but now I see that it may not be correct. I have other angle photos, do you think it might help identify it correctly? Posted 3 years ago
2. 1. RMFelix
    
    Lion
    
    Hi, Flavio! Sorry for the delay. Yes, it could help. I believe that this observation still needs ID. Let's wait for a confirmation. ID'ing this species (with a key) is a challenging hard job, too, even so just looking to photographs of the specimens. Specialists needed! :)
    Posted 3 years ago
  2. 1. Flavio
      
      Lion
      
      Posted 3 years ago

No species identified

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By Flavio

Uploaded Oct 29, 2021. Captured Oct 1, 2021 08:33 in Unnamed Road, 8150, 8150, Portugal.

Explore Portugal 1,947 873 0

X-T20
f/1.0
1/180s
ISO800
100mm

Captured in the fall. More fall photos.