What’s a Weevil?

Insects and bugs are so numerous that I shouldn’t be surprised to keep finding new ones without leaving the backyard. Yesterday, that new bug was a weevil. So, what’s a weevil? If you already know what a weevil is, way to go! Even though weevils are extremely common, I didn’t know what they were until I searched Google Images for a tiny gray beetle that matched the one I had found. According to Wikipedia, there are tens-of-thousands of types of weevils. That made it difficult to identify my weevil exactly, but it looks like a lot like a clover root weevil. Weevils eat plants and can be pests if they appear in large numbers, but this particular weevil was being polite and just eating a dandelion.

The weevil grabbed the top of a dandelion petal with its jaws and started pulling it down.
This weevil has a black snout, which is short compared to other types of weevils.
Here the weevil is working to tear off a little part of the petal. I didn’t think the petal would be that stretchy, so I wonder if the weevil had been chewing and dissolving it before taking a bite.
The black spot below the weevil’s antenna is its compound eye.
Weevils are very small, and this one was only a few millimeters long. Here you can see it in comparison with the head of the dandelion.
Personally, I think this weevil looks like a hippopotamus. Who knew there could be tiny hippos living in your backyard?!

That’s a weevil! And by now you may have come to the correct conclusion that I really like to write the word weevil – weevil, weevil, weevil! Next week I’ll be featuring some the winners from a nature photo contest I’m judging on Fine Art America, and there might be a little photo mystery as well. Until then, be on the lookout for weevils!

Weevil word-count (excluding title): 25.

 

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