Araecerus fasciculatus

Araecerus fasciculatus, the Coffee Bean Weevil, is a species of beetle belonging to the family Anthribidae. Despite its name, it affects a wide range of stored products and some field crops. Through trade it has become cosmopolitan in its distribution.

Araecerus fasciculatus
Araecerus fasciculatus from New Guinea, male and female. Museum specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Suborder:
Polyphaga
Infraorder:
Cucujiformia
Superfamily:
Curculionoidea
Family:
Anthribidae
Genus:
Araecerus
Species:
A. fasciculatus
Binomial name
Araecerus fasciculatus
(De Geer, 1775)
Synonyms

[1][2]

Description

Araecerus fasciculatus can reach a length of about 3–5 millimetres (0.12–0.20 in). These small weevils are dome shaped, with dark brown mottled elytra and hairy body. Antennae in males are longer than the body, with the three last segments forming a club. The last segment of the abdomen is not covered by the elytra.[3]

They are a worldwide pest of cocoa, coffee and many of other plants. They commonly attack stored commodities. The larvae dig tunnels into the seeds, pupate inside them, and adults emerge, boring a hole.[4] They are problematical only under high humidity storage conditions[5], and control is usually managed by fumigation in chambers with aluminium phosphide or carbon dioxide over a period of a week.

Distribution

Likely originating from the Indo-Australian region, these beetles have been distributed by commerce throughout tropical regions of the world.[6]

They have been known to lay their eggs and complete their life cycle in citrus fruits in the field.[7]

References
  1. Biolib
  2. Barry D. Valentine The scientific name of the coffee bean weevil and some additional bibliography (Coleoptera: Anthribidae: Araecerus Schönherr)
  3. Ozanimals
  4. Plantwise
  5. El-Sayed, M. T. (1935). "On the biology of Araecerus fasciculatus de Geer (Anthribidae), with special reference to the effects of variations in the nature and water content of the food". Ann. Appl. Biol. 22: 557–577.
  6. Fauna europaea
  7. Grout T G; Begemann G J; Stephen P R (2001). "Monitoring and control of coffee bean weevil, Araecerus coffeae (Coleoptera: Anthribidae), in southern African citrus orchards". African Plant Protection. 7 (2): 67–72.


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