CLOSED: Black Vine Weevil?

Hi all, I have a massive infestation of weevils in my front yard, which is the lower San Joaquin Valley of California. I noticed defoliated plants two years ago and the infestation seems to be getting worse each summer, they eat everything, including the lawn, lavender (I thought the smell might deter them, but they eat it too), and even the lemon bottlebrush trees. I have tried to identify using the Bugguide or What's That Bug? websites, but am looking for opinions from all you experts out there. So, I am attaching some photos of the wretched creature with the hope that it is clear enough for an I.D. Also, any advice on how to control these would be great, I've looked into several natural and synthetic pesticides but don't want to have to kill everything else in my yard to eradicate the weevils. Thank you.

This message was edited Jun 30, 2010 11:30 AM

Here is another picture with a size comparison to a penny, even though I think most weevils are around the same size, maybe this can help with an I.D.

Definitely not a black vine weevil, but it is in the same subfamily, the broad-nosed/blunt-snouted weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; subfamily Entiminae). The larvae of these weevils primarily are root feeders whereas the adults are leaf feeders, usually starting at the leaf margins. I suggest you contact the Stanislaus County office of the University of California's Cooperative Extension service for more specific advice; see http://tinyurl.com/2g52zyw for contact information.

i feel for you, truly i do. i've been battling Artipus floridanus (little leaf-notcher weevil) for years. i have an arsenal of weapons i use....99% of them are organic but nothing really ever gets rid of them for good....just slows them down.

the citrus farmers are resorting to beneficial nematodes in the groves. this is an eradication method that shows great promise so far. i have not tried it yet because i am surrounded by groves and unless these farmers would use them, they'll just keep coming back to my place.

We call them June bugs. They can grow to be very large and they are found in the San Joaquin Valley.

weevils and june beetles are two different things entirely.

Indeed. Also, members of the subfamily Entiminae tend to be on the small side; anything more than a half inch long would be considered quite large.

I am in the hunt for one over an inch. I don't see them as much as I used to bur I will find one.