Apple Flea Weevil: Appearance, Territory, Damage and Life Cycle

Latin Name: Rhynchaenus Pallicarnis

Appearance: The apple flea weevil has become an increasingly frequent pest in Michigan apple orchards in recent years. It has largely been discovered in organic orchards, although it has also caused harm in at least two conventional orchards. The weevil is likely to go unnoticed in low quantities, but in big populations it is capable of inflicting entire crop loss. The larvae of the apple flea weevil are leaf miners, producing tunneling harm to the foliage, whilst the adults eat through the leaves, leaving distinctive “shot holes,” a succession of small holes. Defoliation and tree death can result from dense populations.

The egg is ellipsoidal and pale in appearance. Eggs are placed in an excavation pit, which is subsequently covered with faeces. The brown wound and swelling indicate an oviposition location. Larval tunnels start off tiny but soon grow into a big triangle-shaped blister-like region. Adult’s measure 3mm in length. Grey to black in color, oval in shape with a small snout, club-shaped antennae, and larger hind legs for leaping.

Hosts Plants: Apple trees, elms, alder trees, and hawthorn trees are the most common hosts.

Territory: They may be found all across South America.

Damage Insect Cause: The larvae of the apple flea weevil are leaf miners, producing tunneling harm to the foliage, whilst the adults eat through the leaves, leaving distinctive “shot holes,” a succession of small holes. Defoliation and tree death can result from dense populations.

Life History and Habits: The apple flea weevil appears between the green tip and pink phases of apple bud development in early spring. Adults feed on leaves and buds, causing distinctive “shot hole” damage. Adults deposit eggs in the leaves, and larvae develop into leaf miners, eating from the center to the margin of the leaf. In June and July, larvae pupate within a pupal chamber produced between the two leaf surfaces and emerge.