Odontopus calceatus
Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University
The Sassafras Weevil is
one of many species of weevils in our area. Weevils are tiny
beetles which usually feed on trees or other plants. The
Sassafras Weevil is only 3/16 inch long; it is
brownish-black and has a short, stubby body. Like most weevils, the
Sassafras Weevil has a long, narrow snout for feeding. These
weevils live wherever their host plants are found. The most
common host plants are Sassafras and Yellow
Poplar. Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn
University Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn
University Adult Sassafras Weevils
first appear in May or June. They feed on buds, making
rice-shaped holes in them. After mating, female
weevils lay small yellow eggs on the midrib (center vein) of
the bottom side of a leaf. A larva hatches from each egg in
about 12 days and starts mining (digging) into the leaf. The
larva is whitish with a tan head, and is about 6 millimeters
long. After munching for
awhile, the larva becomes a pupa (resting stage). The pupa
rests inside a brown cocoon. Adult weevils later
emerge from the pupae and feed until mid-summer. At this
time, since it becomes too hot for the weevils, they
estivate (rest from the heat). When Fall arrives, the
weevils crawl down the tree and into leaf litter. Here they
will overwinter. The following Spring, the weevil's cycle
starts over. Sassafras Weevils can
cause damage to the trees they feed on. The main problem
they cause for a tree is to slow its growth. Leaves that
have been mined by larvae can also turn brown and shrivel
up. Predators of weevils
include birds, spiders, and other insect-eaters. Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn
University Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn
University Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn
University
Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University
Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University