Deporaus marginatus

Deporaus marginatus, commonly known as the mango leaf-cutting weevil,[1] is a species of leaf weevil in the beetle family Attelabidae.[2][3] It is a light tan colour with black elytra (wing cases),[4] and is found in tropical Asia where it is a pest of mango (Mangifera indica).

Deporaus marginatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Attelabidae
Genus: Deporaus
Species:
D. marginatus
Binomial name
Deporaus marginatus
Fst., 1894
Synonyms

(Eugnamptus marginatus (Pascoe)

Distribution

The mango leaf-cutting weevil is native to tropical Asia where it occurs in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.[4]

Hosts

In Thailand, this weevil has been found living on several different hosts including Mangifera indica, Mangifera caloneura, Mangifera boetida and Bouea burmanica.[1] It can also be found on cashew (Anacardium occidentale), but the damage is seldom serious.[5]

Life cycle

The adult female uses her ovipositor to deposit eggs singly in small hollows excavated on the upper surface of a young leaf near the midrib; she then severs the leaf near the stalk from edge to edge, including the midrib, whereupon it falls to the ground.[1] The eggs hatch in about two days, and the larvae mine into the leaf tissue. After a larval state lasting about eleven days, the larvae exit the leaf and form themselves earthen chambers in which to pupate. After undergoing metamorphosis, the adults emerge in about eight days. Six days later they are fully mature and start to breed, copulation usually taking place early in the morning, and lasting for about an hour. Female fecundity averages 614. The females live for about ten weeks and the males for about a week less.[1]

Damage

Adult weevils scrape the surface layers of mango leaves which turn brown, crumple and become contorted.[1] They also cut "windowpanes" between the veins. The most obvious sign of infestation is the presence of cut leaves on the ground beneath the tree, and the stripped, leaf-less shoots, which can be seen from a distance. Infested trees have reduced growth rates, poor flowering and lower yields, the growth of root suckers may be slowed and grafts fail.[6]

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References
  1. Tigvattnanont, Saen (1988). "Biological and autecological studies of the mango leaf-cutting weevil, Deporaus marginatus Pascoe (Coleoptera: Attelabidae)". Kaen Kaset. AGRIS. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  2. "Deporaus marginatus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  3. "Deporaus marginatus". GBIF. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  4. Muniappan, R. (2012). Arthropod Pests of Horticultural Crops in Tropical Asia. CABI. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-84593-951-9.
  5. "Deporaus marginatus (Pascoe)". Insect Pests. ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  6. Rashid, M.H.; El Taj, Hasan Fuad; Jung, Chuleui (2017). "Life-table study of mango leaf cutting weevil, Deporaus marginatus Pascoe (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) feeding on four mango cultivars". Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. 20 (2): 353–357. doi:10.1016/j.aspen.2017.02.004.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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