BANP Black Vine Weevil research

• The black vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus is considered one of the most important pests of hardy nursery rock and soft fruit. The black vine weevil alone causes annual losses of £30 million.
• Adult black vine weevil feed on the aerial parts of plants and leave characteristic notches in leaves.
• Eggs are laid around the base of host plants. The subterranean larvae feed on plant roots and crown. Feeding damage can result in stunted growth, reduced crop yields and even plant death.

Follow this link to a scientific poster on Enhancing the efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae for the control of black vine weevil larvae in food and non-food crops.

Metarhizium anisopliae efficacy against BVW

The image shows Black Vine Weevil (BVW) at different stages of Metarhizium anisopliae infection.

The first larvae is healthy, the second is at 3-5 days post inoculation and the final 3 larvae are post mortum.

Metarhizium efficacy against BVW on plant roots

The image shows plant roots infected by BVW larvae and untreated on the left.

The image on the right then shows a plant root treated with Metarhizium anisopliae in a much healthier state.