Vegetable Weevil

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Common names: Vegetable Weevil

Scientific name: Listroderes costirostris obliquus

Region: This weevil can be found throughout southern United States.

Life cycle: This insect produces one generation each year and overwinter as an adult in weeds or garden rubbish.

Physical Description: This weevil is a buff, or gray to brownish, color with a pale V on its wing covers, and is about 1/2 an inch long.  It is very similar to the Carrot Weevil.  Its eggs are yellowish white and are laid on stems of plants.  The 1/2inch long, larvae resemble a slug and are greenish in color.

Feeding characteristics: This pest attacks beet, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, lettuce, mustard, onion, potato, radish, spinach, swiss chard, tomato, and turnip plants.  The adults feed on foliage at night and spend the day hiding near the soil.  The larvae also eat the foliage leaving only the stems.

Controls: Keep your garden or crop clear of garden rubbish and weeds that give the insect a home.  Cultivate the soil to destroy the underground pupae, and rotate your crops when possible.

If problem persists, or for bad infestations, dust plants with a small amount of Diatomaceous earth.