The Evil Weevil
The "evil weevil", Metamasius callizona, is from Mexico.
It came to Florida in 1989 on shipments of ornamental bromeliads.
The weevil escaped and has spread all across southern Florida.
The red dots on the map of south Florida show where the weevil has so far been spotted.
It came to Florida in 1989 on shipments of ornamental bromeliads.
The weevil escaped and has spread all across southern Florida.
The red dots on the map of south Florida show where the weevil has so far been spotted.
1. EGG: The weevil starts as an egg in a bromeliad leaf.
2. LARVA: The larva hatches from the egg and eats and eats and eats, and grows a lot. The larva lives inside the bromeliad.
3. PUPA: The larva makes a cocoon and turns into a pupa. It lays very still, and changes itself from a larva into an adult.
4. ADULT: The adult emerges from the pupa and can fly away, to find new plants and make more eggs.
The weevil likes to eat bromeliads.
Click here to read about the bromeliads in Myakka River State Park that are being eaten by the weevil.
Click here to read about the bromeliads in Myakka River State Park that are being eaten by the weevil.