About Otiorhynchus ovatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
The adult strawberry root weevil (Otiorhynchus ovatus) reaches about six millimeters in length, and is dark brown to black in color. Adults are often found on the leaves and foliage of the plants they feed on. Their elytra are fused together, so they lack functional wings and cannot fly. There are no males of this species; reproduction occurs through asexual parthenogenesis, meaning female adults can reproduce without mating, and no male specimen of this species has ever been observed. In summer, females lay eggs randomly in soil around host food plants. When eggs hatch, larvae feed on plant roots until late fall, when they enter hibernation. Fully developed larvae can grow up to 13 millimeters long, though they are typically around 8 millimeters long when fully grown, much smaller than white grubs. Larvae are white, legless, have a darker colored head, and are almost always C-shaped. They are found near the roots of the plants they infest. Larval feeding on roots can weaken or kill smaller plants. This weevil overwinters either as a larva deep in the soil, or as an adult under stones or other sheltered locations. In spring, larvae pupate in the upper layers of soil, and develop into adults later in spring or summer. These new adults join overwintered adults from the previous summer to feed on leaves and fruit.
