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Curculio Occidentis, sometimes known as the filbert weevil, is a kind of weevil in the genus Curculio. Because of the harm they inflict to acorns, weevils are considered a pest by many kinds of oak trees. He’s barely 1/4 inch long and 1/8 inch wide when he’s dressed in “fur,” with huge black eyes, a long narrow nose, and elbowed antennae.

Curculio Occidentis is indigenous to western North America. It is found in British Columbia, Canada, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah in the United States, as well as Mexico.

In a growing acorn, the female Curculio Occidentis lays little batches of two to four eggs. The larvae that form feed on the kernel and, when fully formed, tunnel out of the nut, fall to the ground, and excavate a little chamber for themselves. They may not pupate for one or two years.

The filbert weevil is a common pest of oak acorns. The larvae of these insects live and feed in the acorn and can cause significant losses. There are currently no effective methods for control of these pests. Insect damaged acorns may also get secondary bacterial infections that cause drippy oak disease.

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