A Sweet Potato Weevil?
Sat, Dec 6, 2008 at 7:15 PM
Hello Bugman!
About a week ago I threw an old sweet potato into the yard. Today I went to move the sweet potato to a garden area just in case it was going to grow and I found some odd little red and black insects collected underneath it.
The bugs were a little less than a centimeter long and they had black heads and abdomens with thoraxes that looked as if it was made of two red spheres. Their heads had a long black snout with antennae at the end of the snout. When anything touched them they dropped to their sides as if they were dead and a minute later they would revive themselves and move around again. They also pulled in their antennae when they played dead. I browsed through insect images online and I think they might be sweet potato weevils but I’m not entirely sure. That bug in the photo was the only one that remained on the sweet potato when I moved it, the rest fell off playing dead.
Thank you for your time reading this! And pest or not, they all were left unharmed after the potato was moved.
Yvonne
Hilo, Hawaii

Sweet Potato Weevil

Hi Yvonne,
You are absolutely correct. This is a Sweet Potato Weevil, Cylas formicarius. It is a perfect match to images posted to BugGuide which states: “Range Worldwide (mostly tropical and subtropical). Introduced in North America, where found from South Carolina to Florida, west to Texas” and “Larvae bore in sweet potatoes. Tiny white eggs are laid in punctures made in vines near ground, or even in stored potatoes. Larvae burrow in and feed for 2-3 weeks, then pupate in a burrow (2). Also attacks morning-glories and some Asteraceae.”

Sweet Potato Weevil

Thank you so much for the identification! I am one insect identification smarter now   My neighbors recently dug up all of their sweet potato plants so perhaps they wandered from there to my yard looking for food. I didn’t know these weevils existed until I saw them under the sweet potato, it’s amazing how insects have their own little niches in unexpected places. Thank you again for the identification!

Beetle found in bathroom
Sat, Oct 25, 2008 at 8:35 AM
We keep finding these beetles in the bathroom, and rarely in the kitchen (adjoining walls).
I think they are between 1/8 and 1/4 inch long.
They are black, and havea hard shell
Can you tell us what they are?
No house plants, no window in the bathroom.
We do have trees and plants outside, and have been bringing in dirt and manure to improve the yard.
thank you
Joe and Kathy
Oregon – near Portland

Strawberry Root Weevil

Hi Joe and Kathy,
While there are some Weevils that infest stored grain products, this is not one of them.  We did some searching on Bugguide, and believe your Weevil is in the genus Otiorhynchus.  Two species possibilities are Otiorhynchus sulcatus, Black Vine Weevil, which “may seek out hibernation sites in homes” or Otiorhynchus ovatus , the Strawberry Root Weevil , which feeds on “strawberries, other herbaceous plants, and tree seedlings in nurseries; larvae live in the soil, and feed continuously on the roots of seedlings; adults feed at night on the leaves, stem, and berries.”  If that dirt and manure you are adding to your yard is being used to fertilize strawberries, we would vote for the Strawberry Root Weevil.

Beetle?

Hey Bugman!

I live in Altamonte Springs, Florida. My four year old son and I found this bug on our balcony. I’ve never seen one like this before and I’ve lived in Florida my whole life(27 years).

Alien Invader

Your beetle is actually a Broad Nosed Weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus, commonly called the Diaprepes Root Weevil. According to BugGuide: it is “Native to the Carribean but introduced into South and Central FL where it has become a serious pest especially of citrus and woody ornamentals.” BugGuide also indicates: “The California Dept. of Food & Agriculture has issued a flyer containing the following information: ‘The weevil was accidentally introduced into Florida in the 1960s and caused extensive damage. It has been intercepted in shipments of plants to California.’ Said to feed on some 270 different plants, it’s described as ‘a significant threat to both urban and agricultural trees and plants.’ If you see or catch one in California, call the California Dept of Food & Agriculture at 1-800-491-1899 ”