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Eucalyptus weevil

Gonipterus sp.

Description:

About 12mm long. Clutching onto a eucalyptus stem. There was one at each leaf axil hanging on for dear life.

Habitat:

In local school grounds at midday.

Notes:

A favourite weevil genus.
Could be Gonipterus gibberus or Gonipterus scutellatus and there seems to be confusion with images on the web. This one has a pale flash behind the head and onto the abdomen but I have yet to find a reliable description which includes that feature. Wikipedia says of G scutellatus "This weevil is greyish-brown with a light coloured transverse band." but there is no obvious band on their specimen on the same page. The reference at SA Government shows this one as G scutellatus.
family: CURCULIONIDAE
tribe: Gonipterini
genus: Gonipterus
species: Gonipterus scutellatus
Distribution in Australia... http://spatial.ala.org.au/?q=lsid:%22urn...
Both adults and larvae feed on Eucalyptus leaves particularly favouring E globulus and E viminalis.
It is sometimes a major pest in countries other than Australia where eucalypts are grown as plantation trees.

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3 Comments

Yours is so pink! I found a species of Gonipterus at a school as well :) Smart little ones!

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 10 years ago

Thanks Mac. There seems to be a stuff-up building with species ID's for these. Staying with sp. for the time being.

MacChristiansen
MacChristiansen 10 years ago

Nice one Mark

Mark Ridgway
Spotted by
Mark Ridgway

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Spotted on Feb 16, 2014
Submitted on Feb 16, 2014

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