This Weevil Has Puppet Vibes But Drills Like a Power Tool | Deep Look

This fuzzy acorn weevil can’t crack open acorns like a woodpecker or chomp through them like a squirrel. Instead, she uses her incredibly long snout, called a rostrum, to power-drill through an acorn’s tough and resilient shell. And it’s not just lunch on her mind – she’s also making a nursery for her babies. WATCH Insectarium from PBS Terra! PALM WEEVILS episode: Please join our community on PATREON! DEEP LOOK is an ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED in San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small. — This tiny, fuzzy acorn weevil can’t crack open acorns like a woodpecker or chomp through them like a squirrel. Instead, she uses her incredibly long snout, called a rostrum, to power-drill through their tough and resilient shell. The weevil starts by probing an acorn’s surface with her supersensitive antennae. She likes the acorns that are still soft and green. Once she finds a good nut, she begins to chew. The weevil’s rostrum curves downward to let her bite straight into the acorn she’s standing on. Normally, this would mean the tunnel she makes would also curve. But as the weevil eats, she walks her body in a circle around the hole, drilling an arrow-straight tunnel. The naturally arched rostrum straightens as it drills. But this weevil has more than lunch on her mind – she’s also making a nursery. A few days after she deposits her eggs, larvae will hatch and chew their way out of the acorn. The larvae quickly burrow beneath the soil for protection, where they remain pupating into adults before emerging to start the cycle over.. --- Are acorn weevils harmful to oak trees? The weevils have no impact on mature oak trees. The larvae eat what’s inside the acorn but don’t harm the tree itself. --- Are acorn weevils pests? Yes, the weevils are considered pests for many species of oak tree, because they lay their eggs inside the acorn. Those seeds might be less likely to sprout than uninfested acorns. But some may still manage to grow into new oak seedlings. — Are there other species of weevils? There are approximately 60,000 species of weevils. Weevils are beetles known for elongated snouts. --- Do weevils carry disease? No. Though they are associated with some of the basic foods we consume, weevils are not associated with the transmission of any infectious diseases affecting human beings. --- Find additional resources and a transcript on KQED Science: --- More Great Deep Look episodes: What Gall! The Crazy Cribs of Parasitic Wasps These Silk-Swinging Caterpillars Will Ruin Your Picnic You’d Never Guess What an Acorn Woodpecker Eats --- Shoutout! 🏆Congratulations🏆 to these fans on our Deep Look Community Tab who correctly answer our GIF challenge! @nataliet8149 @pauljames5826 @yashpd2653 @aa-ron9485 @TheBestInsects See the question here: --- Thank you to our Top Patreon Supporters ($10 per month)! Burt Humburg Max Paladino Karen Reynolds Daisuke Goto Chris B Emrick Tianxing Wang Companion Cube David Deshpande Wade Tregaskis Laurel Przybylski Mark Jobes Carrie Mukaida El Samuels Jessica Hiraoka Noreen Herrington Louis O’Neill Levi Cai Jeremiah Sullivan Laurel Przybylski Elizabeth Ann Ditz LAUREL PRZYBYLSKI Titania Juang Roberta K Wright Jellyman Mehdi KW Syniurge SueEllen McCann xkyoirre TierZoo --- Follow Deep Look and KQED Science on social: @deeplookofficial Instagram: Twitter: --- About KQED KQED, an NPR and PBS member station in San Francisco, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, radio and web media. Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios and the members of KQED. #acornweevil #oaktree #acorns