Black Vine Weevil

Description
The larval (grub) stage of this pest is white, legless, somewhat C-shaped with a brown head. Adults are slate gray to black, flightless, about 9-13 mm long, and have a short pronounced snout with elbowed antennae. Their front wings are covered with tiny concave areas and small patches of short golden hairs (Fig. 1). The strawberry root weevil, O. ovatus, closely resembles this species, but it’s only half the size of the black vine weevil.

Damage
Injury caused by the larval stage feeding on the roots is highly destructive to plants. Feeding by larvae occurs from mid-summer through fall and in early spring. At first larvae feed on small tender roots, but in early spring, they move to the bark of large roots or the stem, sometimes completely girdling them. Damage to roots may go undetected in container-grown plants in nurseries, but infested plants that are placed in landscapes often die. Injury caused by adults is in the form of marginal notching of broadleaved evergreen foliage and other host plants. The marginal notching of the foliage seldom impacts plant health, even though it may be extensive.