About: Curculio elephas

Curculio elephas is a species of beetle in the family Curculionidae, the true weevils. It is known commonly as the chestnut weevil. It is a serious pest of chestnut (Castanea sativa) in Europe. Curculio elephas are similar to Curculio sayi and in the United States. Adults feed on chestnut foliage until nut kernels enter the dough stage in mid to late August. Although they can lay eggs any time after kernel filling, most eggs are laid after the bur begins to open. The adult female weevil drills a hole in a chestnut fruit and deposits one egg inside. The eggs are laid into the cupules or around the peduncle joints. Eggs hatch in five to seven days producing large, legless grubs. When the larva emerges from the egg it feeds on the developing chestnut. The larvae leave behind frass and excre