Hylobius transversovittatus

Hylobius transversovittatus

The Hylobius transversovittatus is a beetle of the family of weevils ( Curculionidae ). He specializes in the life in and around the purple loosestrife. In Europe, widespread, it is also found at sites with low incidence of purple loosestrife.

The weevils of the purple loosestrife damage centrally by the oviposition and larval development, was founded in 1992 along with two leaf-eating beetles ( Galerucella calmariensis Linnaeus in 1767, and Galerucella pusilla Duftschmid 1825) specifically introduced in seven states of the U.S., the approval by the U.S. government agency ( USDA - APHIS ) in June 1992. He was also introduced to Canada.

Description

Hylobius transversovittatus is a 10 to 14 millimeters in size, reddish-brown weevil. It can be at least two or three years of age.

Way of life

The beetles appear about the middle of April, shortly after the sprouting of blood loosestrife. They are mainly nocturnal, but sometimes also be found in the early morning and in the evening on the plants and to about the middle of September active. They eat the leaves and young shoots of blood loosestrife. Mating occurs about two weeks after its release, the egg-laying from early May. The females lay an egg in the soil near the roots or directly into the trunk of blood loosestrife from. It can be placed from the start of egg laying until about September 100 to 200 eggs from the female.

The larvae hatch in about eleven days and eat into the root suckers or by the stem of the plant. Later, they eat their way into the central root, where they eat one to two years and continue to develop. In the third larval stage they pupate in the upper root part, new beetle generations hatch from June to October.