The largest weevil in North America, the palmetto weevil (Rhyncophorus cruentatus) lays eggs in the crowns of palms, where the grubs feed and often kill their host in the process.
In Florida it’s considered a major pest due to its habit of destroying ornamental palm trees, but native palmettos and sabal palms (the weevils’ natural hosts) are rarely harmed unless they’re already stressed or damaged. It’s mostly date palms and other exotic species planted along city streets that can’t take the heat and need to be drenched with insecticide to ensure survival.
After several weeks of painstaking work, my weevil costume is done!!! I made it for a parade where our uni’s entomology club participated in, which was a lot of fun! The colors are based on Eupholus magnificus.
The build is made put of cardboard and masking tape. I covered the top stripe, eyes, and underside of the head with mesh, so visibility and breathability is pretty fantastic. The antennae are adjustable too! The head is attached to the thorax with a velcro strip.
The extra arms are attached with fishing line and velcro to the top gloves. Definitely a challenge to figure out, one of the arms unfortunately snapped off during parading :(
Overall, I’m incredibly pleased with how the costume turned out, it’s been a while since having a cool project to work on!
Platyaspistes venustus, also called the Blue and Yellow Broad-Nosed Weevil, kicks off Day 8 of the 30 Days of Weevils art challenge!
Like other broad-nosed weevils, this weevil is characterized by a scar on the tip of its rostrum, left over from mandibular processes that fall off in its adult life. Vibrant colors stripe its elytra, making it a beautiful sight in its native South American environment!