ID appreciated...

   http://www.abertawe.co.uk/pics/bug.htm

Approx 1cm excluding antennae.

-- 
Nogood Boyo

Nogood Boyo wrote: news:H7jPY0DNjZBEFwQc@ynystawe.demon.co.uk

> ID appreciated...
>
>   http://www.abertawe.co.uk/pics/bug.htm
>
> Approx 1cm excluding antennae.


It is the horrible Black Vine weevil
Otiorhynchus (Brachyrhinus) sulcatus.
The larvae are the worst in garden and home.

    Life History
    Only one generation of the weevil occurs
    outdoors, annually. The adults appear during June
    and early July. They feed on foliage at night by
    cutting characteristic U-shaped notches in the
    foliage of the host plant. During the daylight hours
    the adults hide in the debris and loose soil at the
    base of the plant.
    Eggs are laid during July and August in the soil
    under the plants on which the adults feed. As the
    eggs hatch the larvae burrow into the soil and feed
    on the roots. They overwinter in the soil as full-
    grown larvae and develop into pupae in late May
    or early June.
    Eggs are deposited without fertilization and only
    females are produced. No males have been
    observed with this species. The beetles cannot
    fly, so infestations spread slowly from one area to
    another. However, rapid spread may occur in a
    localized area.

-- 
º°º°º°º < Peter Alaca > º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°

On Wed, 1 Mar 2006 12:51:25 +0000, Nogood Boyo 
wrote:
>ID appreciated...
>
>   http://www.abertawe.co.uk/pics/bug.htm
>
>Approx 1cm excluding antennae.

The body shape and elbowed antennae point to a weevil. The size and 
black with yellow speckling match Otiorhynchus clavipes, although I'm 
not 100% on that.

Frink

-- 
Doctor J. Frink     : 'Rampant Ribald Ringtail'
See his mind here   : http://www.cmp.liv.ac.uk/frink/
Annoy his mind here : pjf at cmp dot liv dot ack dot ook
"No sir, I didn't like it!" - Mr Horse

On 1 Mar 2006 13:29:06 GMT, Doctor J. Frink  wrote:
>On Wed, 1 Mar 2006 12:51:25 +0000, Nogood Boyo 
>wrote:
>>ID appreciated...
>>
>>   http://www.abertawe.co.uk/pics/bug.htm
>>
>>Approx 1cm excluding antennae.
>
>The body shape and elbowed antennae point to a weevil. The size and 
>black with yellow speckling match Otiorhynchus clavipes, although I'm 
>not 100% on that.

And I wasn't ;0). Black vine weevil it is. It wasn't in my field guide. 
Is it particularly common?

Frink

-- 
Doctor J. Frink     : 'Rampant Ribald Ringtail'
See his mind here   : http://www.cmp.liv.ac.uk/frink/
Annoy his mind here : pjf at cmp dot liv dot ack dot ook
"No sir, I didn't like it!" - Mr Horse

On Wed, 1 Mar 2006 at 14:25:02 in uk.rec.natural-history Peter Alaca 
wrote:
>Nogood Boyo wrote: news:H7jPY0DNjZBEFwQc@ynystawe.demon.co.uk
>
>> ID appreciated...
>>
>>   http://www.abertawe.co.uk/pics/bug.htm
>>
>> Approx 1cm excluding antennae.
>
>
>It is the horrible Black Vine weevil
>Otiorhynchus (Brachyrhinus) sulcatus.
>The larvae are the worst in garden and home.
>
>   Life History
>   Only one generation of the weevil occurs
>   outdoors, annually. The adults appear during June
>   and early July. They feed on foliage at night by
>   cutting characteristic U-shaped notches in the
>   foliage of the host plant. During the daylight hours
>   the adults hide in the debris and loose soil at the
>   base of the plant.
>   Eggs are laid during July and August in the soil
>   under the plants on which the adults feed. As the
>   eggs hatch the larvae burrow into the soil and feed
>   on the roots. They overwinter in the soil as full-
>   grown larvae and develop into pupae in late May
>   or early June.
>   Eggs are deposited without fertilization and only
>   females are produced. No males have been
>   observed with this species. The beetles cannot
>   fly, so infestations spread slowly from one area to
>   another. However, rapid spread may occur in a
>   localized area.
>
Thanks.  A dozen or so of these appear to have entered a third floor 
flat via an open window last week.  No sign of them having interfered 
with house plants.  No further individuals found since windows closed. 
Does this sound likely..?

-- 
Nogood Boyo

Nogood Boyo wrote: news:wpSiMwEIlaBEFwmU@ynystawe.demon.co.uk

> On Wed, 1 Mar 2006 at 14:25:02 in uk.rec.natural-history Peter Alaca
> wrote:
>> Nogood Boyo wrote: news:H7jPY0DNjZBEFwQc@ynystawe.demon.co.uk
>>
>>> ID appreciated...
>>>
>>>   http://www.abertawe.co.uk/pics/bug.htm
>>>
>>> Approx 1cm excluding antennae.
>>
>>
>> It is the horrible Black Vine weevil
>> Otiorhynchus (Brachyrhinus) sulcatus.
>> The larvae are the worst in garden and home.
>>
>>   Life History
>>   Only one generation of the weevil occurs
>>   outdoors, annually. The adults appear during June
>>   and early July. They feed on foliage at night by
>>   cutting characteristic U-shaped notches in the
>>   foliage of the host plant. During the daylight hours
>>   the adults hide in the debris and loose soil at the
>>   base of the plant.
>>   Eggs are laid during July and August in the soil
>>   under the plants on which the adults feed. As the
>>   eggs hatch the larvae burrow into the soil and feed
>>   on the roots. They overwinter in the soil as full-
>>   grown larvae and develop into pupae in late May
>>   or early June.
>>   Eggs are deposited without fertilization and only
>>   females are produced. No males have been
>>   observed with this species. The beetles cannot
>>   fly, so infestations spread slowly from one area to
>>   another. However, rapid spread may occur in a
>>   localized area.
>>
> Thanks.  A dozen or so of these appear to have entered a third floor
> flat via an open window last week.  No sign of them having interfered
> with house plants.  No further individuals found since windows closed.
> Does this sound likely..?

It is not very likely that they came from outside
this time of year. Perhaps they were newly hached.
I had the grubs many times in my pots but never
saw leaf damage indoors.
A healthy and big growing plant shows litte sign
of infection if the infection is not very heavy.
But smaller plants can suddenly die, with only few
grubs in the ground. But last year a recently bought
plant on my patio died and I found dozens of them
in the earth.
On summer evenings I go out hunting for snails and
weevils in my (small) garden.


-- 
º°º°º°º < Peter Alaca > º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°

On Wed, 1 Mar 2006 at 18:16:19 in uk.rec.natural-history Peter Alaca 
wrote:
>Nogood Boyo wrote: news:wpSiMwEIlaBEFwmU@ynystawe.demon.co.uk
>
[...]
>>>
>> Thanks.  A dozen or so of these appear to have entered a third floor
>> flat via an open window last week.  No sign of them having interfered
>> with house plants.  No further individuals found since windows closed.
>> Does this sound likely..?
>
>It is not very likely that they came from outside
>this time of year. Perhaps they were newly hached.
>I had the grubs many times in my pots but never
>saw leaf damage indoors.
>A healthy and big growing plant shows litte sign
>of infection if the infection is not very heavy.
>But smaller plants can suddenly die, with only few
>grubs in the ground. But last year a recently bought
>plant on my patio died and I found dozens of them
>in the earth.
>On summer evenings I go out hunting for snails and
>weevils in my (small) garden.
>
Thanks.  I'll get the pot plants thoroughly checked.

I suppose you meant outdoors, when you mentioned adults emerging in June 
/ July..?  Perhaps the adults will emerge at different times indoors..?

Apart from damage to plants (and alarming the residents), they won't do 
any other harm indoors will they?

-- 
Nogood Boyo

Nogood Boyo wrote: news:9tDhdsFM$eBEFwn2@ynystawe.demon.co.uk

> On Wed, 1 Mar 2006 at 18:16:19 in uk.rec.natural-history Peter Alaca
> wrote:
>> Nogood Boyo wrote: news:wpSiMwEIlaBEFwmU@ynystawe.demon.co.uk
>>
> [...]
>>>>
>>> Thanks.  A dozen or so of these appear to have entered a third floor
>>> flat via an open window last week.  No sign of them having
>>> interfered with house plants.  No further individuals found since
>>> windows closed. Does this sound likely..?
>>
>> It is not very likely that they came from outside
>> this time of year. Perhaps they were newly hached.
>> I had the grubs many times in my pots but never
>> saw leaf damage indoors.
>> A healthy and big growing plant shows litte sign
>> of infection if the infection is not very heavy.
>> But smaller plants can suddenly die, with only few
>> grubs in the ground. But last year a recently bought
>> plant on my patio died and I found dozens of them
>> in the earth.
>> On summer evenings I go out hunting for snails and
>> weevils in my (small) garden.
>>
> Thanks.  I'll get the pot plants thoroughly checked.
>
> I suppose you meant outdoors, when you mentioned adults
> emerging in June / July..?

Yes

> Perhaps the adults will emerge at different times
> indoors..?

I suppose so. and possibly even more
then one generation

> Apart from damage to plants (and alarming the residents),
> they won't do any other harm indoors will they?

Not at all.


-- 
º°º°º°º < Peter Alaca > º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°

On Wed, 1 Mar 2006 at 21:25:12 in uk.rec.natural-history Peter Alaca 
wrote:
>Nogood Boyo wrote: news:9tDhdsFM$eBEFwn2@ynystawe.demon.co.uk
>
[...]
>
>> Apart from damage to plants (and alarming the residents),
>> they won't do any other harm indoors will they?
>
>Not at all.
>
Thanks again.

-- 
Nogood Boyo