Bamboo Weevil

Cyrtotrachelus buquetii

A shoot-borer with antennae mounted on its snout

The bamboo weevil is a robust, large weevil with a long, curved snout (rostrum), its antennae attached partway along the snout rather than on the head. Females drill holes into tender bamboo shoots to lay eggs, and the hatched larvae bore into the shoot’s core to feed — a common pest of southern bamboo forests.

Key figures

Length

About 20–30 mm, one of the larger weevils

Life cycle

One generation a year; larvae feed inside the shoot for about 1 month before burrowing into soil to pupate

Habitat

Bamboo forests in southern China, especially where tender new shoots are dense

Diet

Larvae bore into the shoot’s core; adults gnaw on the surface of tender shoots and young leaves

Boring

The female drills egg-laying holes through the shoot wall with her long snout, reaching as deep as the core

Damage

Shoots hollowed out by larvae often rot and die from the inside, making it a significant bamboo forest pest

Life cycle

Egg (laid in a hole drilled through the shoot wall) → Larva (bores into the shoot’s core) → Pupa (pupates underground) → Adult

Ecological role

Bamboo weevil larvae boring into shoots make it a common agricultural and forestry pest in southern bamboo forests; adults also feed on tender shoots and leaves to build up reserves, and severe infestations can reduce yields or kill large stands of new bamboo.

Did you know

Bamboo weevil larvae are plump and fatty; in Yunnan, Guangxi and other regions, they are a traditional food that, deep-fried, makes a popular high-protein snack.

Range

Bamboo forest regions of southern and southwestern China and the Indochinese Peninsula

Status

Common; a significant shoot-boring pest of bamboo forests in southern China

Anatomy

• Rostrum — A slender, curved, tube-like snout tipped with chewing mouthparts, its main tool for drilling egg-laying holes
• Antenna — Elbow-shaped and attached partway along the snout rather than on the head — a key feature for identifying weevils
• Elytra — The wing cases (elytra) are reddish-brown with longitudinal grooves, hard and covering the membranous hindwings
• Compound Eye — Positioned at the base of the snout on either side; vision helps with finding mates and tender shoots
• Legs — The feet bear adhesive hairs, helping it cling to smooth bamboo culm surfaces
• Pronotum — The plate behind the head (pronotum) is narrow and elongated, tapering at the front to leave room for the snout to move

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