Diaprepes Root Weevil Diaprepes abbreviatus (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Diaprepes Root weevil is a fairly large (1/2"), colorful beetle that, as an adult, feeds on citrus leaves and causes notching that looks similar to fuller rose weevil damage. As a grub, it feeds on roots of citrus and other plants and can eventually girdle the crown of trees causing them to die. This weevil is native the to Caribbean region, infests 23 counties of Florida, and is now infesting an orchard in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. In the fall of 2005, it was found infesting ornamentals in two urban areas of Orange County and Los Angeles County. During 2006, it was found in San Diego County in both urban areas and lemon groves. This weevil has many different host plants, and so it is likely that it entered California on ornamental nursery plants that were planted in those housing complexes. Since 1974, it has been intercepted a more than 20 times in California in shipments of plant, truck trailers, and cargo holds of aircraft. The weevils found in these interceptions were destroyed. We want to continue to do everything that we can to keep Diaprepes root weevil from establishing in California. The infestations recently found in Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties are being surveyed and an eradication program is being conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Map of Los Angeles and Orange County Infestations
Map of San Diego County Infestations
San Diego County quarantine maps
Identification of Diaprepes. Through funding from the Exotic Pests and Diseases Research Program of the UC Statewide IPM program and Center for Invasive Species Research, a team of researchers from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the University of California, and the University of Florida developed a brochure describing the biology of this pest and the management program used in Florida.
Diaprepes Root Weevil
Brochure download from ANR Publications
(search for "Diaprepes")
UC IPM Citrus guidelines: Provisional pesticide treatment recommendations.
To view PDF files, a copy of Adobe
Acrobat Reader must be installed.
To get a free copy,
click here 