Acorn Weevil Larva - Curculio glandium
These weevils are very common in my area, and so many acorns are infested with the larvae.
Female weevils lay their eggs in an acorn via a long ovipositor. The hole is healed by the plant, thus sealing the hole and protecting the weevil eggs from parasites. Upon hatching, the larvae eat the fruit. They are freeze avoidant and can survive the cold winter.. Unfortunately, they can cause a lot of damage to the populations of acorn-bearing trees since they inhibit seed germination.
Habitat: Living in an acorn that my son decided to use as a baseball. The acorn cracked open and revealed the larva, which he thought looked like butter, lol.
''Curculio glandium'' is a species of carpophagus weevil, known as the acorn weevil. It is native to eastern North America. It eats by a rostrum, an elongated snout, that is used for piercing. Male/Female differentiation can be determined using the rostrum as female's are longer. The larvae are short, and cylindrical in shape, and move by means of ridges on the underside of the body. Adults can reach a length of 4 to 8 mm.
