Section D
Curculionidae
This group, with their long rostrums (read: noses), elbowed antennae, and particularly rounded elytra comprise some of the beetles known as weevils.
Lucky for us, there are few that are actively attracted to light, although a few species do occasionally turn up in traps. I suspect this is due to their 'tuck and drop' survival mechanism where they kamikaze from any foliage they happen to be on when threatened (or caught by a gust of wind).
Most weevils have a food plant preference, so it can be handy to know what trees are near your trap.
For everything Weevil, Mark Gurney is the go-to guy, and he has written some AMAZING weevil guides.
They cost nothing, so make sure you make his time worth it and send him in your weevil records via IRecord
Curculio sp.
Medium sized brown or grey weevils that have a very long rostrum and elbowed antennae with a club. As the most common species is often found as larvae in Acorns the group is often called 'Acorn Weevils'.
We have 6 species in the UK and 2 are pretty darned rare
Barynotus obscurus
Family: Curculionidae
Family: Curculionidae
There are 3 species of Barynotus in the UK, the other two being:
B. morerens: (which has 5 longitudinal grooves along its rostrum)
B. Squamosus: elytra all one colour although shiny black cuticle showing underneath the matt scales (and on average smaller 6.9-8.8 mm)
B.obscurus
ID Features
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Wide rostrum
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Pronotum wider than long with rounded sides
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Elytra widest behind middle
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matt appearance to elytra with lighter spots
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Shiny cuticle barely showing through elytral scales
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Setae on elytral apex as long as the width of hind tibae
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March to November
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7.1-11.00
Still not sure?
Otiorynchus sulcatus
Family: Curculionidae
A broad oval species associated with cultivated plants, and is notorious as a gardeners pest. Females reproduce pathogenically.
Care must be taken to separate it from other rarer similar Otiorhyncus species, which
Mark Gurney has made an exceptional ID guide to here
ID Features
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Broad oval species
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Black with golden flecked patches of scales
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Warty appearance to pronotum
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Broad Rostrum
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black legs with red claws
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March to October
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7.0-9.5mm
Brachypera zoilus
Family: Curculionidae
A mottled brown weevil with a thick rostrum and parallel sides. Feeds on clovers (Trifolium)
Mark Gurney has made an exceptional ID guide to here
ID Features
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Large broad Body
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Parallel sided
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Central pale stripe on the pronotum
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Rostrum thick and short
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Mottled with Black patches
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Dark brown tibia
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Obvious shoulders
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Antennae feniculus 7 segmented
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March to July
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6.8-8.5mm
Widespread but uncommon
Hypera postica
Family: Curculionidae
ID Features
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