Bug FAQPepper Weevil
Anthonomus eugenii · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Curculionidae
Also called: Weevil
Source: Wikipedia
Adult pepper weevils are about 3 mm long, dark brown with cream-coloured scales, and have a curved rostrum. Females lay a single egg inside a cavity they cut in pepper fruits; the larvae feed inside the fruit, causing damage that can lead to decay. The insect is native to Mexico but is now found throughout Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, the southern US, and has been reported as far north as Canada and the Netherlands.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are dark brown with cream-coloured scales covering their bodies. They have a curved rostrum, a trait typical of the genus Anthonomus.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It is a major pest of cultivated pepper plants, affecting many Capsicum species. Both adult and larval stages cause the most damage through egg laying and feeding.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
- Action thresholds for insecticide use have been established to manage pepper weevil populations.
- Biological control using natural enemies has been suggested as a management strategy.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed and lay eggs on plants in the Capsicum genus and a few Solanum species. Larvae develop inside the fruit, feeding on internal tissues and making the fruit prone to decay.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
A female cuts a cavity in the host fruit, deposits a single egg, and seals the opening with a light-brown fluid that hardens. The species has three larval instars, all of which develop within the fruit.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The pepper weevil is native to Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The curved rostrum helps distinguish it from other beetles.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 18 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New Mexico, Texas, California, Arizona, Louisiana, Hawaii, Oregon, Mississippi.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the pepper weevil damage?
It feeds on and lays eggs in Capsicum peppers and some Solanum species, and the larvae damage the fruit from inside.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I control pepper weevil infestations?
Use insecticide applications according to established action thresholds, and consider biological control agents that target the weevil.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Curculionidae)
Green Immigrant Leaf WeevilPolydrusus formosusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Black Vine WeevilOtiorhynchus sulcatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Nettle weevilPhyllobius pomaceusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Asian Oak WeevilCyrtepistomus castaneusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Strawberry Root WeevilOtiorhynchus ovatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common Leaf WeevilPhyllobius pyriDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthonomus_eugenii
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.