Microlarinus lareynii
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Microlarinus lareynii | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Curculionidae |
| Genus: | Microlarinus |
| Species: | M. lareynii |
| Binomial name | |
| Microlarinus lareynii (Jacquelin du Val, 1852) | |
Microlarinus lareynii, commonly known as puncturevine seed weevil,[1] is a weevil of the family Curculionidae.[2] It is native to interior regions of Italy, France and Rajasthan in India.[3]
Microlarinus lareynii feeds on the seeds of the puncturevine, Tribulus terrestris. Together with Microlarinus lypriformis, which feeds on the stems of the puncturevine, it has been introduced as a biological control agent in the United States of America[4] and Canada.[3]