Plum Gouger: Appearance, Territory, Damage and Life Cycle

Latin Name: Coccotorus Scullaris

Appearance: The plum gouger, Coccotorus scutellarin, is a true weevil belonging to the Curculionidae family of beetles. It is a North American native. Adult plum gouger weevils have smooth, dark brown wing covers with yellow-brown heads and legs. Adult pecan weevils are brownish beetles with snouts that are as long as their bodies, measuring 3/8 inch long. Grubs have legless bodies and reddish-brown heads that can reach 3/5 inch in length. There are several species of acorn weevils.

Hosts Plants: Apple, Nectarine, Plum, Cherry

Territory: North America

Damage Insect Cause: Female fruit feeding weevils lay eggs on growing peaches, plums, pears, apples, mayhaws, and certain tiny berries; diseased fruit falls off trees. Adult pecan weevils feed on growing pecan nuts and oviposit eggs on them, causing them to drop. Larval stages develop in more ripe nuts, damaging the kernels.

Life History and Habits: Adults may feed on the buds and blooms of peaches and plums as well as native plums. Damaged fruit gets twisted and warped as a result of adult eating and egg-laying punctures, and the larvae feed on the pit kernels.