Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Coleoptera (Beetles) ➔ Family Curculionidae (Weevils)

Hypera zoilus (Scopoli, 1763)

Großer Klee-Kokonrüssler Clover Leaf Weevil

Synonyms and other combinations:

Curculio zoilus Scopoli, 1763 [original combination] | Curculio punctatus Fabricius, 1775 | Curculio austriacus Schrank, 1781 | Curculio pictus Fourcroy, 1785 | Curculio linzensis Gmelin, 1790 | Curculio medius Marsham, 1802 | Phytonomus proximus Carmagnola, 1833 | Phytonomus rufus Boheman, 1834 | Phytonomus opimus LeConte, 1876 | Phytonomus fallaciosus Desbrochers, 1896 | Phytonomus lineellus Gerh, 1910 |

  • Hypera zoilus  8498
    Hypera zoilus (Scopoli, 1763)  Großer Klee-Kokonrüssler  Clover Leaf Weevil 
    Hypera zoilus, det. Corinna (CR)
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-09-04 13:57:28
    Image number: 8498

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-09-04 13:57:28
    det. Corinna (CR)
  • Hypera zoilus  8499
    Hypera zoilus (Scopoli, 1763)  Großer Klee-Kokonrüssler  Clover Leaf Weevil 
    Hypera zoilus, det. Corinna (CR)
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-09-04 14:00:02
    Image number: 8499

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-09-04 14:00:02
    det. Corinna (CR)
  • Hypera zoilus  8500
    Hypera zoilus (Scopoli, 1763)  Großer Klee-Kokonrüssler  Clover Leaf Weevil 
    Hypera zoilus, det. Corinna (CR)
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-09-04 13:57:47
    Image number: 8500

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-09-04 13:57:47
    det. Corinna (CR)
  • Hypera zoilus  8501
    Hypera zoilus (Scopoli, 1763)  Großer Klee-Kokonrüssler  Clover Leaf Weevil 
    Hypera zoilus
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-09-05 10:57:13
    Image number: 8501

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-09-05 10:57:13

  • Hypera zoilus, bottom view  8502
    Hypera zoilus (Scopoli, 1763)  Großer Klee-Kokonrüssler  Clover Leaf Weevil 
    Hypera zoilus, bottom view
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-09-05 10:54:12
    Image number: 8502
    bottom view
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-09-05 10:54:12


Classification:
Hypera zoilus belongs to the subfamily Hyperinae.
Distribution:
Palearctic (Europe, Asia, North Africa), North America.
Habitat:
Grassland, roadsides, forest margins and clearings.
Description:
6 - 9 mm large, hairy and scaled stocky beetle; rostrum short and thick, at most twice as long as broad; elytra with brown to grey ground color, 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th interspace mostly with paler scales and with darker areas of raised scales, the adjoining outer 4 interspaces usually also paler; scales short, truncated, impressed in the middle.
Biology:
The Clover Leaf Weevil Hypera zoilus usually lives on different plant species of the pea family, such as clover (Trifolium), burclover (Medicago) and melilot (Melilotus). Imagines and larvae feed on the stems and leaves of the host plants.
Hypera zoilus normally hibernates as a larva. In spring the adult larvae produce for pupation a transparent net-like cocoon and fix it to the food plant. The adult beetles hatch at the end of May.
Natural enemies:
The ichneumonid wasp Bathyplectes infernalis (Gravenhorst, 1820) parasitizes the larvae of the Clover Leaf Weevil.
Note:
Hypera zoilus (Scopoli, 1763) = Donus (Antidonus) zoilus (Scopoli, 1763) = Brachypera (Antidonus) zoilus (Scopoli, 1763)

References, further reading, links:
  1. de Jong, Y.S.D.M. (ed.) (2013) Fauna Europaea version 2.6.2 Web Service available online at https://fauna-eu.org/
  2. Arved Lompe: Die Käfer Europas - Ein Bestimmungswerk im Internet
  3. Harde, Severa: Der Kosmos Käferführer: Die Käfer Mitteleuropas, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & KG, Stuttgart, ISBN 3-440-07682-2.