Weevils are small herbivorous beetles representing over 60,000 species, generally divided into two major divisions, the Orthoceri or primitive weevils, and the majority as Gonatoceri or true weevils (Curculionidae). Primitive weevils are distinguished by having straight antennae, while true weevils have elbowed antennae. In 1993, researchers at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo separated the DNA from a weevil found in Lebanese amber, dating from the Cretaceous period between 80 and 95 million years ago. It was more than four times older than DNA taken from previous record-holders and the oldest DNA specimen on record.

The weevil has mouthparts formed into a long snout that may be longer than the body, growing to half an inch. Different kinds of weevils have different kinds of snout shapes, each shape is adapted to eating certain plants or parts of plants. The snout is used for feeding and for making cavities to lay the eggs – in buds, fruits, seeds, stems, and roots. The emerging grubs feed within the plant, destroying buds and seeds, and weakening the plant. The female nut weevil’s snout is often longer than its body, needing to bore through the hard shell of a nut to lay its eggs inside. Consequently weevils have since ancient times take a serious toll on human horticulture.

And yet, their remains make them among the most beautiful in the amber record.

All images Copyright  2012-2021 by Guy Iannuzzi