(Systates spp.)
Credits: Biovision-Infonet
(c) A.M. Varela, icipe
This is a very common weevil in East Africa. It attacks many crops and ornamental plants. The adult is a black weevil, about 12 mm long with a swollen, rounded abdomen, and long, thin, elbowed antenna.
It is active at night, feeding on the edges of leaves producing a characteristic indentations. During the day it hides in the mulch, at the base of plants or in loose soil near plants.
They feed on a wide range of crops and wild plants. They can be a problem to young papaya plants when present in large numbers.
What to do:
- Hand picking and destruction is possible.