Orchid Weevils

Adult orchid weevils are small beetles with a noticeable snout, which is the feature that gives weevils their familiar “long-nosed” look. They are usually dark colored, often black to dark brown, and their bodies can look slightly oval. Because they are only a fraction of an inch long, a typical adult may look like a tiny dark speck until it moves.

 

The larvae look very different from the adults. They are small, pale, grub-like, and legless or nearly legless in appearance. Most people never see the larvae until they cut into damaged plant tissue or remove a badly affected section of the orchid.

 

That hidden larval stage is part of what makes orchid weevils so troublesome. The adult feeding may be visible, but the young weevils are often inside the plant where they can keep feeding out of sight.

​

​

To learn even more about orchid weevils, check out our blog post