Bruchidius villosus
Encyclopedia
Bruchidius villosus is a species of bean weevil
known by the common names broom seed beetle and Scotch broom bruchid. This beetle is used as an agent of biological pest control
against the noxious weed known as Scotch broom
(Cytisus scoparius).
This is a dark gray weevil about two millimeters long. The female lays about ten eggs on the seed pod of the plant. The larva
hatches from the egg at the point it is attached to the pod and burrows into the pod, where it develops and feeds on the seeds. The larva is one to two millimeters long and gelatinous white. It pupa
tes in the seed coat. When the seed pod ripens and splits open, adult weevils emerge.
This beetle is native to Europe. It was introduced to the United States by accident but was found to drastically reduce seed production in Scotch broom, its host plant. It became one of the newest insects to be deliberately released for the control of the plant in the 1990s. Its viability as a biocontrol agent is under study. It is used less often in New Zealand because it was found to attack plants other than its target when introduced there.
Bean weevil
The bean weevils or seed beetles are a subfamily of beetles, now placed in the family Chrysomelidae, though they have historically been treated as a separate family. They are granivores, and typically infest various kinds of seeds or beans, living for most of their lives inside a single seed...
known by the common names broom seed beetle and Scotch broom bruchid. This beetle 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 known as Scotch broom
Cytisus scoparius
Cytisus scoparius, the Common Broom and Scotch Broom, syn. Sarothamnus scoparius, is a perennial leguminous shrub native to western and central Europe,....
(Cytisus scoparius).
This is a dark gray weevil about two millimeters long. The female lays about ten eggs on the seed pod of the plant. 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...
hatches from the egg at the point it is attached to the pod and burrows into the pod, where it develops and feeds on the seeds. The larva is one to two millimeters long and gelatinous white. It pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
tes in the seed coat. When the seed pod ripens and splits open, adult weevils emerge.
This beetle is native to Europe. It was introduced to the United States by accident but was found to drastically reduce seed production in Scotch broom, its host plant. It became one of the newest insects to be deliberately released for the control of the plant in the 1990s. Its viability as a biocontrol agent is under study. It is used less often in New Zealand because it was found to attack plants other than its target when introduced there.