Three-spotted weevil

Systematic position: The three-spotted weevil (lat. Ceutorhynchus trisignatus) belongs to the order Coleoptera and the family Curculionidae. This species is a specialized pest that primarily focuses its biological activity on plants within the Brassicaceae family.

Damaged crops: The pest poses a significant threat to industrial crops such as rapeseed, mustard, radish, and various cabbage varieties. Both adults and larvae cause economic damage by targeting the reproductive tissues of these plants during sensitive growth stages.

Biology and life cycle: The insect's development is closely synchronized with the phenology of cruciferous plants. Adult weevils overwinter in the soil and emerge in spring to feed on young plant tissue. Females deposit eggs into the buds or pedicels. The larvae feed internally within these structures and later drop to the soil to undergo pupation, completing their annual cycle.

Nature of damage: Infestation leads to bud abortion, stunted pod development, and a reduction in seed yield. Severe damage can result in significant losses, as the punctures made by the weevils often allow secondary fungal infections to settle within the damaged plant tissue, further compromising overall harvest quality.

Protection measures: Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for this species include rigorous crop rotation, the elimination of alternative cruciferous weed hosts, and deep autumn tillage to destroy overwintering sites. Chemical control with insecticides during the budding phase is often necessary, provided that application timing is managed to minimize impact on beneficial pollinators.