Rhynchites bacchus (Linnaeus, 1758)
pesch weevil
on woody Rosaceae
Prunus cerasifera, Hongarije, Budapest, Arboretum, 23.iv.2014 © László Érsek: prenuptial fight
copulation
already during the copulation the female starts making an oviposition chamber
oviposition
rhe clutch is covered with chewed plant mateiral.
parasite
The adult beetles feed in the spring on buds, flowers and young fruits. The female deposits an egg in a young fruit, then severs the fruit stalk. The larva develops in the soon rottin fallen fruit. Once full grown it enters the soil.
host plants
Rosaceae-Amygdaloideae, oligophagous
Cotoneaster; Crataegus; Cydonia; Malus; Prunus domestica, persica, spinosa; Pyrus.
phenology
After the larva has entered the soil, it mostly enters diapause until the spring of th second year. Only then follows the pupation and, after about two weeks, the imago.
distribution within Europe
notes
The fallen fruit generally is soon colonised by the fungus Monilinia fructigena. Dieckmann assumes that not only this is favourable for the larva, but even that the fungus is actively dispersed by the beetles.
references
Braunert (2017a), Dieckmann (1974a), Legalov & Friedman (2007a), Rheinheimer & Hassler (2010a), Yunakov, Nazarenko, Filimonov & Volovnik (2018a).