Curculio fulvus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and its Effects on Acorns of Live Oaks, Quercus virginiana Miller

Curculio fulvus Chittenden constituted ca. 93% of the weevil specimens collected from live oak, Quercus virginiana Miller, in Louisiana from 1979 to 1983. The remaining 7% consisted of C. sulcatulus (Casey), C. pardalis (Chittenden), and C. victoriensis (Chittenden). Injury to live acorns by weevil larvae significantly reduced (P < 0.01) germination and subsequent seedling growth. Adult weevils emerged from the soil from late August to mid-November. Ninety-six percent of all acorns from four trees were damaged by ovipositor insertion or by larval feeding. A mean of 2.24 larvae developed per acorn from acorns that weighed ca. 3 g.