Acythopeus curvirostris (Boheman)
{Formerly known as Baris granulipennis (Tournier)}.
Taxonomic placing: Insecta, Holometabola, Coleoptera, Curculionidae.
Common name: Melon weevil.
Geographical distribution: Extends from East Africa to the Middle East to Iran and to India.
Morphology: The brown-black female is about 7-8 mm long, with 8 longitudinal striae on each elytron. Body of the legless larva white with a brown head, about 15 mm. long.
Host plants: Fruits of melons, watermelons and other.
Life cycle: The weevils are mostly active in the morning and the evening. The females place their eggs (50-75/female) in holes pierced in the cucurbit host fruits. The emerging larvae feed within the fruit, causing rot, and pupate there. They raise 2-3 annual generations, living for 2-3 months.
Economic importance: The melon weevil is a major pest of melons and watermelons in Mid-Eastern countries; its growing importance is probably due to increases in the area devoted to melon and water-melon cultivation.
Management:
Horticultural practices: Isolating melon plants from the soil with dry hay significantly reduced infestations.
Biological control: The hymenopterous parasitoid Antistrophoplex acythopeusi (Risbec) Torymidae was obtained from A. curvirostris, but its effect is unknown.
References
Mohammadpour, K., Shishehbor, P., Avand-Faghih, A. and Mosadegh, M.S. 2013. Study on daily and reproduction activity of melon weevil, Acythopeus curvirostris persicus (Col.: Curculionidae), in Birjand, Iran. Journal of Entomological Society of Iran 33: 33-47.
Azzam, M.A. 2010. Effects of adults and larvae of melon-weevil Acythopeus curvirostris Boh. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on watermelon flowers and fruits. College of Foods and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University Repository.
Ghavami, A. 1969. Melon weevil, Acythopeus curvirostris persicus Thompson. Journal of Applied Entomology and Phytopathology 21: 60-67. [In Persian with an English summary].
Mohammadpour, K., Shishehbor, P., Avand-Faghih, A. and Mosadegh, M.S. 2013. Study on daily and reproduction activity of melon weevil, Acythopeus curvirostris persicus (Col.: Curculionidae), in Birjand, Iran. Journal of Entomological Society of Iran 33: 33-47.
Rivnay, E. 1960. The life-history of the melon weevil, Baris granulipennis (Tourn.), in Israel. Bulletin of Entomological Research 51, 115-122.
Thompson R.T. 1973. Preliminary studies on the taxonomy and distribution of the melon weevil, Acythopeus curvirostris (Boheman) (including Baris granulipennis (Tournier)) (Coleoptera, Curculionidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research 63: 31-48.