Pest profile

Sri Lankan Weevil

Myllocerus undecimpustulatus undatus · Coleoptera: Curculionidae[2]

Notched leaf edges on citrus, buttonwood and many ornamentals in Florida may be Sri Lankan weevil feeding.[1]

Sri Lankan weevil, a pale gray weevil with dark mottling, on a leaf edge
Sri Lankan weevil, a pale gray weevil with dark mottling, on a leaf edge. (c) Tom Field, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • Adults are about 6 to 8.5 mm, with a yellowish head, dark-mottled wing covers and strongly angled shoulders.[1]
  • Their thigh segments carry small teeth, which helps separate them from similar weevils.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Little leaf notcherSimilar, but its legs lack teeth, its shoulders aren't angled and its wing covers are grayish to white.[1]

Where it lives

First detected in Broward County in 2000, it has since been found in more than two dozen Florida counties.[1]

US map: public records from 1 state since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Larvae, beige-white with a reddish-brown head, burrow into soil and feed on roots for one to two months.[1]

It has a host range of over 150 plants, including citrus, buttonwood, cocoplum, pygmy date palm, crepe myrtle and pepper.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Adults chew inward from leaf edges, leaving notches, and prefer new growth; heavy feeding can stunt plants or kill seedlings.[1]

Health risk

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

Control

Traps and physical control

Shake branches over an open, upside-down umbrella and dump the weevils into soapy water.[1]

Pesticides

Pesticides give only limited control because adults fly, hide or drop and play dead; check with UF/IFAS Extension for current advice.[1]

Common questions

What's notching my citrus and hedge leaves in Florida?
Sri Lankan weevils feed inward from leaf edges, leaving notches.[1]
How can I get rid of them without spraying?
Shake branches over an upside-down umbrella and drop the weevils into soapy water.[1]

Sources

  1. University of Florida IFAS Extension (Featured Creatures), “Sri Lankan Weevil, Myllocerus undecimpustulatus undatus (EENY-579).” edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN1016 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Myllocerus undecimpustulatus taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/55183 (accessed 2026-10-06)

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