These Beetles are True Drilling Machines! Observe the female oak weevil (Curculio glandium) as she expertly drills into…

These Beetles are True Drilling Machines!

Observe the female oak weevil (Curculio glandium) as she expertly drills into an acorn by moving her head side to side, using her elongated snout like a drill. These beetles, part of the weevil family, not only consume the flesh of acorns but also use them as a nutritious and safe nursery for their larvae.

To lay eggs, the female searches for a suitable acorn using her sensitive antennae located on her snout. The best candidates are young acorns that haven’t hardened yet or those with existing cracks. Once she finds the right acorn, she uses her long ovipositor to lay one to four eggs in the drilled hole before moving on to find another acorn.

As the acorn matures, it falls to the ground, where the larva chews its way out and burrows into the soil to continue its development.

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