Hypomeces pulviger
| Hypomeces squamosus | |
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| Hypomeces squamosus from Laos on a green leaf. | |
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| Species: | squamosus
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| Binomial name | |
| Hypomeces squamosus | |
Hypomeces squamosus, also known as the gold-dust weevil or green weevil, is a species of the true weevil family.[1] The adult weevil can reach a length of about 14 mm (0.6 in) and is covered with iridescent green glitter all over the body. This species can be found in India, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines. Both the larvae and adults are crop pests. The larvae live in and pupate in the soil, feeding on living plant roots. Adults are long-lived, doing damage to foliage, sometimes defoliating young bushes.[1]
Description
The adult beetle is about 14 mm (0.6 in) long. The head has a long snout, clubbed antennae, large black eyes and chewing mouthparts. The thorax and elytra (wing cases) are dusted with golden or greenish metallic scales. The larvae are legless grubs living in the soil.[2]
Distribution
Hypomeces squamosus is native to southeastern Asia, its range extending from Pakistan and India to Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia.[3]
Damage
The adult Hypomeces squamosus feeds by chewing leaves. The growing tip and young leaves are preferentially chosen and eaten from the edge inwards. When older, more mature leaves are consumed, the softer parts between the veins are eaten and the veins are left. Host plants include Citrus, Gossypium (cotton), Helianthus annuus (sunflower), Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato), Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco), Oryza sativa (rice), Persea americana (avocado), Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane) and Zea mays (maize).[3] It is a pest of tea plants in China,[4] rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), cocoa (Theobroma cacao), cassia (Cassia fistula), cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), kapok (Bombax ceiba), breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), Flindersia brayleyana, mangoes (Mangifera indica), mulberries (Morus alba), Philippine mahogany (Pterocarpus indicus), rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), sapodilla (Manilkara zapota), teak (Tectona grandis) and tung (Vernicia fordii).[5]
References
- ^ a b Hill, Dennis S., ed. (2008). "Major Tropical Crops and Their Pest Spectra". Pests of Crops in Warmer Climates and Their Control. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. p. 334.
- ^ Ong, S.P.; Farid, A. Mohd (2017). "Hypomeces squamosus". Plant pests: the leaf-feeding beetles. Forest Research Institute Malaysia. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "Green weevil: Hypomeces squamosus". Plantwise Knowledge Bank. CABI. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ^ Guo Shibao; Shi Hongzhong; Yin Jian (2011). "Investigation of pest in Xinyang tea-producing area". Agris. 11 (1): 133–181.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Hypomeces squamosus ((Fabricius, 1792)), green weevil". CAB Direct. CAB International. 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2021.