What makes a little hole in acorns ?

[posie]

Thanks for replying,but I meant last night.anyway I've found out now from google. I just felt a bit of an idiot saying how clever they are to get into such a tiny hole, when in fact they don't go in the hole, they just lay eggs in the hole.,somebody could have corrected me , but never mind ,,,,I think I am beginning to get the measure of the specialist threads.,,, POSIE.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by posie

why didn't anybody answer my questions ?

As somebody else mentioned - because many 'insect people' don't have time to look at the plant fora! Sorry, about that.

Weevils are a Superfamily of plant-eating (phytophagous) beetles which have projecting face-mouth parts (a rostrum). The rostra may be very long and thin or very short and broad (or anything in between) - they are adapted to different plants so the rostral form varies greatly between weevils boring into wood and those using softer plant parts. Perhaps you can look at the various rostral forms as different drill bits?

Some weevils fly but, like most beetles, they generally walk around. Many do not have wings and some have elytra (wing cases) that are fused and so cannot open.

They quite variable in size, colouration &c.

[loripo]

Sorry! Had been looking up things on acorns, so thought it might be weevils, but didn't want to confidently get it wrong Already done that on a recent thread

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by posie

Thanks guys, now I can be cocky and tell everyone what it is . [1=] What is a weevil, is it a flying insect , if not , how does it get right up our trees . [=2] has it got a boring or drilling 'tool' at its muzzle ,or does it use sort of gnawing teeth ? It must be tiny, to get through that little hole.Isn't nature wonderful.

Originally Posted by loripo

There is a weevil that does this , [=2] using acorns to 'drill'into and lay eggs for it's larvae. Hopefully someone will be able to confrim this and give more details.

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Hi Posie,

[=1] Weevils are beetles. The Acorn Weevil Curculio glandium (though I'm sure others have similar habits/associations) is in the Curculionidae family, though there are about six different families of them in the UK.

Take care,

Jason

Originally Posted by posie

why didn't anybody answer my questions ?

We did! Just in a different order

[posie]

Thankyou all , I've got it now . I've started noticing more things since I've been on WAB , like insects , spiders and etc............................................ I think I'm getting the BUG ! !

[Dutchess]

WAB is catching - no doubt!

Oh, and just to add, that many people think maggots go into the apple, rather than eat their way out - so you are not alone in that way of thinking P

[posie]

I did know that maggots eat their way out, but I keep getting this image of a weevil trying to squeeze through that tiny hole to get in there to lay her eggs. Then I thought...well if she can't do that perhaps she deposits her eggs out of her 'snout'. but I now know that she straddles that tiny hole in the acorn and deposits her eggs into the cavity , through the hole , maybe she has a tube that she puts into the hole and shoots her eggs through the tube , into the acorn. I'm glad that the Human reproduction is easier ! !

[posie]

Thankyou so much Lori , that is amazing ....now I know exactly ,a specialised tool for drilling at the front end and a (is it) depositor at the rear end.Wonderful...............

[loripo]

I think it's called an ovipositor ( an egg positioner!)

[rangersarah2]

This may sound like a really stupid question, but I assure you that it is genuine. Why have you all thought weevil instead of gall wasp? What would the first sign of a gall wasp be?