Curculio
Encyclopedia
Curculio is a genus of weevil
s belonging the family Curculionidae
and subfamily Curculioninae
, including about 30 species
worldwide. It includes nut weevils that infest the seeds of trees such as oaks and hickories. The adult female weevil bores a tiny hole in the immature nut to lay her eggs, which then hatch into legless grubs. In the fall, the grubs bore holes through the shells from the inside to emerge into the soil where they may live for a year or two before maturing into adults.
Species of Curculio include:
Weevil
A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than , and herbivorous. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae...
s belonging the family Curculionidae
Curculionidae
Curculionidae is the family of the "true" weevils . It was formerly recognized in 1998 as the largest of any animal family, with over 40,000 species described worldwide at that time...
and subfamily Curculioninae
Curculioninae
The beetle subfamily Curculioninae is part of the weevil family Curculionidae. It contains over 23,500 described species in 2,200 genera, and is therefore the largest weevil subfamily known...
, including about 30 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
worldwide. It includes nut weevils that infest the seeds of trees such as oaks and hickories. The adult female weevil bores a tiny hole in the immature nut to lay her eggs, which then hatch into legless grubs. In the fall, the grubs bore holes through the shells from the inside to emerge into the soil where they may live for a year or two before maturing into adults.
Species of Curculio include:
- Curculio caryaeCurculio caryaeThe pecan weevil, Curculio caryae is an obligate feeder on the nuts of North American hickories and pecans , most widely recognized as an economically important pest of the pecan, Carya illinoinensis...
– the pecan weevil - Curculio elephas – the chestnut weevil
- Curculio glandiumCurculio glandiumCurculio glandium is a species of weevil known as the acorn weevil....
– the acorn weevil (in Europe) - Curculio nucumCurculio nucumCurculio nucum is a species of weevil known as the hazelnut weevil or acorn weevil .It is the most common of all acorn-eating insects and grows to approximately ½ in long...
– the acorn weevil (in North America) or hazelnut weevil