This Cute Little Resident Of The Ecuadorian Rainforest Loves Grooming Itself

True Weevils, also called snout beetles, are one of the largest animal families with over 80,000 species described worldwide. They feed on plants with their long snout (rostrum), in many cases only living on a single species. Many weevils are damaging to crops, but others are used for biological control of invasive plants. This cute little fellow of the genus Ambates was filmed in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador while cleaning its long geniculate antennae.

A weevil is a type of beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than 0.24 inches, and herbivorous. Over 60,000 species are in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae, also called “the true weevils”. Some other beetles, although not closely related, bear the name "weevil", such as the biscuit weevil, which belongs to the family Anobiidae.

Many weevils are considered pests because of their ability to damage and kill crops, but others are used for biological control of invasive plants. The grain or wheat weevil damages stored grain, while the boll weevil attacks cotton crops by laying its eggs inside cotton bolls, and the larvae eat their way out. The rice weevil, on the other hand, has the ability to fly.

This weevil’s favorite snack is the Aloe plant. Adult snout beetles will leave unsightly marks on the aloe leaves, but it is the chubby, C shaped larvae that are the culprits. Snout beetles lay their eggs at the base of the aloe leaves, the larvae bore into the stem just below the crown of the plant which may cause the entire plant to die.