Diaprepes Root Weevil
Diaprepes abbreviatus
When startled, this weevil will perform thanatosis—feigning death by folding its legs, dropping to the soil, and blending in with leaf litter.
- Scientific name
- Diaprepes abbreviatus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Curculionidae › Diaprepes
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Tropical and subtropical forests, citrus orchards, agricultural fields, and ornamental gardens.
- Diet
- Herbivorous; larvae feed on underground roots, while adults consume the foliage of over 270 plant species.
- Range
- Caribbean, Florida, California, Texas
- Size
- 1.0 to 1.9 cm (0.4 to 0.75 inches) in length
- Lifespan
- 12 to 18 months (including larval stages; adults live about 3 to 4 months)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Agricultural pesticides and biological control measures such as parasitic wasps and nematodes.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. This weevil does not bite, sting, or possess toxins, and can be safely handled. However, because it is a destructive agricultural pest outside its native range, do not transport live specimens, and report sightings in non-native areas to agricultural extensions.
Diaprepes abbreviatus is a species of weevil that is native to the Caribbean, where in Spanish it is colloquially called chichí. It is an agricultural pest in several Caribbean countries. In 1964 this weevil was accidentally introduced in the US, state of Florida, where it is at present a major pest of citrus. It was first discovered in southern California in 2005, where it is a pest of citrus, avocado, and nursery stock. It is also...
Photo: loisfraser, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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