Weevils Galore: The Sri Lankan

If you live in Florida, you've probably met this little white bug that looks like a Skeleton...

(A Sri Lanka Weevil Relaxing on a bench) taken by: Myself

    This little guy is called the Sri Lankan Weevil (Myllocerus undecimpustulatus) is a type of broad-nosed weevil and in Florida they're extremely common. On a casual stroll, you've got a good chance of running into one sitting on a bush or anything that they could climb. I've personally found a good chunk of Sri Lankan Weevils just relaxing on my window. In the picture above, he was sitting on a park bench. They're also not harmful at all to humans, as their mouth parts are made for chewing leaves not biting humans. 

    As the name suggests, these weevils are originally from Sri Lanka and slowly spread to parts of India and Pakistan before eventually arriving all the way in Florida. Around the year 2000 it was first encountered in Broward County, Florida. Since then, the Sri Lanka Weevil has had no common predators here. It's also thrived in all parts of Florida as it enjoys feeding on a lot of the local plant life. 

   (Another Sri Lankan Beetle outside my house)

    Unfortunately, these factors make the Sri Lankan Weevil an invasive species. The voracious eating habits of both the larva and adults have affected over 150 different host plants. The larva of these bugs can injure root systems while the adult Weevils feast on the leaves of host plants (Neal, 2013). This can cause severe damage, especially to young plants which the adults prefer more.

    If you find these insects in your garden and you don't want them there, the best option is to shake the host plant or simply pick them all off one by one. Some people even put an upside down umbrella under the tree in order to catch them all. Keep in mind these weevils are difficult to control due to their ability to fly and feign death and the fact that their larvae are born within the soil. If you really need to get rid of these bugs, you can use soapy water in a spray bottle.

Citations:

Neal, A. (2013, November). Sri Lankan Weevil. Sri Lankan weevil - myllocerus undecimpustulatus undatus Marshall. https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/Creatures/orn/sri_lankan_weevil.htm#top