Phrydiuchus tau
Encyclopedia
Phrydiuchus tau is a species of true weevil
known as the Mediterranean sage root weevil. It is used as an agent of biological pest control
against noxious weed Mediterranean sage
(Salvia aethiopis).
The adult weevil is dark gray to black and has a marking on its back that looks like a white letter T
, or tau
, hence its scientific name. The weevil is about 5 millimeters long. The female lays eggs at the base or on the underside of the leaf. The larva
emerges in three to four weeks and burrows into the plant tissue. It tunnels all the way down to the root crown where it feeds and develops. The adult weevil does feed on the foliage, but most of the damage to the plant is done by the larva's feeding activity. Small plants can be killed by just the larval damage; larger plants may be stunted or unable to reproduce. The weevil favors Mediterranean sage, but it will also readily attack clary sage (Salvia sclarea), a similar but less troublesome weed in the area.
This weevil is native to southern Eurasia. It was first introduced to the United States for invasive sage biocontrol in 1971. It is now established in much of the western United States.
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...
known as the Mediterranean sage root weevil. It 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 noxious weed Mediterranean sage
Salvia aethiopis
Salvia aethiopis is a species of perennial plant known by the common name Mediterranean sage. It is best known as a noxious weed, particularly in the western United States. It is native to Eurasia and was probably introduced to North America as a contaminant of alfalfa seed. It is a weed of...
(Salvia aethiopis).
The adult weevil is dark gray to black and has a marking on its back that looks like a white letter T
T
T is the 20th letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet. It is the most commonly used consonant and the second most common letter in the English language.- History :Taw was the last letter of the Western Semitic and Hebrew alphabets...
, or tau
Tau
Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 300.The name in English is pronounced , but in modern Greek it is...
, hence its scientific name. The weevil is about 5 millimeters long. The female lays eggs at the base or on the underside of the leaf. 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...
emerges in three to four weeks and burrows into the plant tissue. It tunnels all the way down to the root crown where it feeds and develops. The adult weevil does feed on the foliage, but most of the damage to the plant is done by the larva's feeding activity. Small plants can be killed by just the larval damage; larger plants may be stunted or unable to reproduce. The weevil favors Mediterranean sage, but it will also readily attack clary sage (Salvia sclarea), a similar but less troublesome weed in the area.
This weevil is native to southern Eurasia. It was first introduced to the United States for invasive sage biocontrol in 1971. It is now established in much of the western United States.