Fuller rose beetle

Scientific name

Naupactus cervinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Other common names

Fuller's rose weevil

Similar species

larvae and pupae of citrus root weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus

larvae of white-fringed weevil, Naupactus leucoloma

Distribution

United States: present in most states, concentrated in the eastern and central regions of the U.S.

Worldwide: Australia, Canada, Europe, Ethiopia, Haiti, the Mediterranean region, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, South America, and many Pacific islands.

Most likely native to Central and South America but now cosmopolitan.

Diagnostic characteristics

Adults

• 8.38 mm (0.33 in.) in length.
• Brownish to grey with intermixed white scales that form a diagonal mark on the hardened forewings (elytra).
• The hardened forewings (elytra) over the abdomenabdomen:
  one of the three body segments in insects; the most posterior segment containing the heart, reproductive organs, and digestive organs
  are fused, so the insect cannot fly.
• Bulging eyes on the sides of the headhead:
  one of the three main body segments in insects; the anterior-most segment containing the many sensory structures including the eyes, antennae, and mouthparts
  .
• Short blunt snout tapers slightly downward.

Larvae

• Three larval instars.
• Size of mature larvae or grubs 10 - 12 mm (0.39 - 0.47 in.) long.
• Head head:
  one of the three main body segments in insects; the anterior-most segment containing the many sensory structures including the eyes, antennae, and mouthparts
  capsule is 1.75 mm (0.069 in.) wide.
• Grubs yellow at first, becoming white after a few days and creamy white before maturation.
• Yellow headhead:
  one of the three main body segments in insects; the anterior-most segment containing the many sensory structures including the eyes, antennae, and mouthparts
  capsule and black mandiblesmandibles:
  the jaws of insects with chewing mouthparts
  .
• Legless.
• Kidney-bean shaped with distinct segmentation on the body.

Eggs

• Diameter 1 mm (0.25 in.).
• Deep yellow.
• Cylindrical, but somewhat flattened.

Hosts

Citrus hosts

All Citrus species and their hybrids.

Non-citrus hosts

A partial list includes:

• apple, Malus domestica
• apricot, Prunus armeniaca
• avocado, Persea americana
• azalea, Rhododhendron spp.
• begonia, Begonia spp.
• blackberry, Rubus spp.
• camellia, Camellia spp.
• carnation, Dianthus caryophyllus
• Dracaena spp.
• geranium, Pelargonium spp.
• guava, Psidium guajava
• kiwi, Actinidia chinensis
• peach, Prunus persicae
• persimmon, Diospyros spp.
• plum, Prunus salicina
• primrose, Primula spp.
• raspberry, Rubus spp.
• strawberry, Fragraria x spp.
• walnut, Juglans regia

Host damage

Flowers

Limited feeding on flowers.

Fruits

• Leaf-notching by feeding adults.
• Consumption of entire leaf except the mid-rib.

Roots

• Larvae may damage laterallateral:
  with an orientation pertaining to the side
  roots as deep as two feet.
• Complete girdlinggirdling:
  removal of the bark, phloem, and cambium tissues around the entire circumference of the effected plant part (branch, root, or trunk) that results in the death of the wood beyond that point; characteristic damage inflicted by specific insects like beetle larvae
  of roots may occur.
• Root damage similar to Diaprepes abbreviatus and Pachnaeus spp.

Twigs

Sticky egg masses under the calyxcalyx:
whorl of residual flower parts that include the sepals, found at the stem end of a fruit
of the fruit stem.

Biology

Females produce egg masses asexually (parthenogenesis) containing 5 - 40 eggs covered by a white sticky material. No males have been discovered. On citrus, eggs are deposited beneath the calyxcalyx:
whorl of residual flower parts that include the sepals, found at the stem end of a fruit
, on the fruit, in cracks in the bark, and between leaves. The eggs hatch after three to four weeks, and the larvae fall to the ground where they feed on plant roots for 6 - 10 months. To pupate, the larvae move near the soil surface and form a cell made of soil. In Florida, peak emergenceemergence:
used to describe the completion pupation that culminates in the appearance of the adult form of an insect
occurs between June and September. In California, peak emergenceemergence:
used to describe the completion pupation that culminates in the appearance of the adult form of an insect
occurs between June and November. The flightless female beetles climb their hosts to begin feeding. One generationgeneration:
the time it takes for an insect to develop from egg to adult
is produced each year.

Comments

The Fuller rose beetle is known by several synonyms, including Asynonychus godmani, Asynonychus cervinus, and Naupactus godmani.

The Fuller rose beetle feeds nocturnally. Adults are not attracted to ultraviolet light, and larvae move away from light (negatively phototropic).

References

Coats, S.A., and C.W. McCoy. 1990. Fuller rose beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) ovipositional preference on Florida citrus. J. Econ. Entomol. 83: 860-865.

Futch, S.H., C.W. McCoy, and H.N. Nigg. 2009. A guide to soil insect pests identification. (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HS/HS13000.pdf).

King, J.R. 1958. Occurrence, distribution and control of Fuller's rose beetle in Florida citrus groves. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 71: 146-152. (http://www.fshs.org/Proceedings/Password%20Protected/1958%20Vol.%2071/146-152%20(KING).pdf).

Flint, M.L., and M. Fayard, (eds.). 2009. Fuller rose beetle - Asynonychus godmani. In How to manage pests: pests in gardens and landscapes. (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/INVERT/fullerrosebeetle.html).

Woodruff, R.E., and R.C. Bullock. 1979. Fuller's Rose Weevil, Pantomorus cervinus (Boheman), in Florida (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Entomol. Circ. 207. Fla. Dept. Agric. Consumer Svcs., Div. of Plant Industry (http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/entcirc/ent207.pdf).

Authors

Martin, K.W., A.C. Hodges, and N.C. Leppla