Pear weevil

The pear weevil (Rhynchites giganteus) is a beetle belonging to the family Attelabidae, order Coleoptera. It is a specialized pest primarily affecting pear trees. The adult beetle is characterized by a distinct rostrum, which the female uses to drill deep holes into young fruit to facilitate oviposition.

The primary damage is caused during the reproductive stage of the tree. The female lays eggs inside the young ovaries of the pear. To ensure the larvae have proper food, the female often bites through the fruit stalk, causing the fruitlet to drop prematurely to the ground, where the larvae feed on the decaying tissue.

The life cycle of this pest is univoltine, meaning one generation occurs per year. The adult weevils overwinter in the soil or under leaf litter in the orchard. As soon as the buds begin to swell in spring, the beetles emerge and start feeding on the developing buds, eventually moving to the blossoms and young fruit.

The economic impact of the pear weevil can be severe. In cases of high infestation, the pest can cause massive fruit drop, significantly reducing the marketable yield. Furthermore, the punctures made by the weevils serve as entry points for various fungal and bacterial infections, leading to rot and mummification of the fruits.

To control the pear weevil, growers should implement a combination of cultural and chemical methods. Cultural practices include meticulous removal of all dropped fruit to break the larval development cycle and frequent cultivation of the soil under the tree canopy to disturb overwintering adults. In commercial orchards, targeted insecticide applications are recommended before and immediately after the flowering period to protect the developing fruit.