Gonipterus scutellatus
System : Terrestrial
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
- General
- Distribution
- Impact
- Management
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Common name
gorgojo del eucalipto (Spanish), eucalyptus snout beetle (English), eucalyptus weevil (English), gum tree weevil (English), Eukalyptusrüssler (German)
Synonym
Similar species
Gonipterus gibberus
Summary
Gonipterus scutellatus, or the eucalyptus snout beetle, is native to Australia. It is specific to Eucalyptus species, and G. scutellatus is considered to be one of the major defoliators of Eucalyptus spp. worldwide. It causes damage to eucalyptus in both larval and adult stages, in particular to the young leaves and repeated defoliation by G. scutellatus can lead to tree death. However, the egg parasitoid Anaphes nitens has been introduced as a successful biological control agent in several countries.
Species Description
Please see PaDIL (Pests and Diseases Image Library) Species Content Page Beetles: eucalyptus snout beetle Gonipterus scutellatus Gyllenhal, 1833 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) for high quality diagnostic and overview images.
Notes
Notes on taxonomy and nomenclature: a third species, Gonipterus platensis Marelli, was described in Argentina and said to be different from both G. gibberus and G. scutellatus (Marelli, 1927). Rosado-Neto (1993) treats it as a synonym of G. scutellatus (from EPPO, 2005).
Habitat Description
The only hosts are Eucalyptus spp., of which the most susceptible are Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus maidenii, Eucalyptus punctata, Eucalyptus robusta, Eucalyptus smithii and Eucalyptus viminalis (Griffith, 1959 in Walker 2008).
Pathway
Larvae and/or pupae may be present in soil. (EPPO 2005).Transportation of host. Larvae and/or pupae may be present in soil. (EPPO 2005). On clothing/footwear, hikers' clothes/boots - when disturbed, adult Gonipterus scutellatus readily drop from tree branches and cling to whatever they land on. (Hanks et al. 2000). Transportation of wood. (Wilcken et al. 2008). May be present on plants/plant material. (EPPO 2005).
Principal source: European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (OEPP/EPPO), 2005. Gonipterus gibberus and Gonipterus scutellatus Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin 35, 368–370
Compiler: IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) with support from the Overseas Territories Environmental Programme (OTEP) project XOT603, a joint project with the Cayman Islands Government - Department of Environment
Review:
Publication date: 2010-09-28
Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Gonipterus scutellatus. Downloaded from http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=1751 on 20-04-2024.
General Impacts
Feeding by Gonipterus spp. leads to characteristically scalloped leaf edges, with a resultant dieback of shoot tips and development of tufts of epicormic shoots (Walker 2008). G. scutellatus are important defoliators of Eucalyptus spp. Trees become stunted and may split and die.
Management Info
The mymarid solitary-egg parasitoid Anaphes nitens, an Australian native, has been used as a successful biocontrol agent against G. scutellatus in several countries. These include Brazil, Chile, Mauritius, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and the United States. A. nitens larvae feed directly on and from within G. scutellatus host eggs. (Hanks et al. 2000; Santolamazza-Carbone et al. 2009; Wilcken et al. 2008; Williams et al. 1951; Withers 2001).
Chemical methods are not recommended for control of G. scutellatus as honey bees are frequent visitors of Eucalyptus spp. during its long flowering season. (EPPO 2005).
G. scutellatus is listed as an A2 quarantine pest for the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO), and it is regulated by most EPPO countries, particularly the EU. Eucalyptus species introduced into endangered countries in form of plant or cuttings must originate from a pest-free area, or the plants must be free of soil, and treated for G. scutellatus. (EPPO 2005).
