Pest profile

Diaprepes Root Weevil

Diaprepes abbreviatus · Coleoptera: Curculionidae[2]

Diaprepes root weevil adults notch leaf edges, but the legless grubs feeding on roots do the serious damage to citrus and ornamentals.[1]

Diaprepes root weevil, a weevil striped with black ridges and pale scales, on a leaf
Diaprepes root weevil, a weevil striped with black ridges and pale scales, on a leaf. Photo: lightbed, public domain (CC0), via iNaturalist

How to identify it

  • Adults are 3/8 to 3/4 inch, black with tiny white, red-orange or yellow scales on the wing covers, often rubbed off ridges into stripes.[1]
  • Larvae are white, legless grubs up to about 1 inch.[1]
  • Eggs are laid in clusters of 30 to 265 sealed inside folded leaves.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Other root weevilsGrasshoppers, caterpillars and related weevils also notch leaves, so look for the weevil or its egg masses.[1]

Where it lives

It's found in Florida, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and the Lesser Antilles.[1]

US map: public records from 9 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Females seal egg clusters between leaves they stick together.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Notching along young leaf margins is the telltale adult sign.[1]

Health risk

It feeds on plants; UF/IFAS mentions no risk to people.[1]

Control

When to call a professional

Follow current UF/IFAS citrus root weevil guidelines; horticultural oils have been tested to keep leaves from sticking together for egg laying.[1]

Common questions

What's notching my citrus leaves?
Diaprepes root weevil adults are one cause in Florida.[1]
Where's the real damage?
Underground, where grubs feed on roots.[1]

Sources

  1. University of Florida IFAS Extension (Featured Creatures), “Diaprepes Root Weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus (EENY-024).” edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN151 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Diaprepes abbreviatus taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/132094 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.