Face of a Botany Bay Diamond weevil
One of these weevils was collected by Sir Joseph Banks (see box) on Captain James Cook's first voyage in 1770. On his return, Banks gave the task of cataloguing his insect collection to the Danish insect taxonomist Johann Fabricius. The weevil was described in 1775, making it one of the first Australian insects described to western science. Sydneysiders may be surprised to learn that the Botany Bay weevil is not only found around Sydney, but from coastal far north Queensland to eastern South Australia. The weevil is certainly common in New South Wales and the common name Botany Bay weevil probably dates back to the colonial days of Botany Bay. It may also be known as the Botany Bay diamond weevil or diamond beetle. The weevils are associated with about 30 species of Acacia. Female weevils chew holes in stems just above ground level in which they lay their eggs. Upon hatching the larvae bore into the stem and usually down into the roots. Adult weevils emerge in the summer and what spectacular insects they are with their rich metallic green or blue markings on a black background. The adult weevils also feed on Acacia spp. in their characteristic manner of removing the leading shoots several centimetres down the stem. The Botany Bay weevil also has a distinctive defence mechanism. One day I was taking some close-up images of weevils on Acacia provincialis (formerly A. retinodes) when I got just a bit too close. The weevil suddenly went stiff, toppled backwards and fell to the ground like a bad actor in a B grade Western. The trick I learnt was to move closer to them slowly, taking photos as I went, so they got used to me and the noise of the camera.
Size: 4256px × 2831px
Location: Pomonal, Victoria, Australia
Photo credit: © Denis Crawford / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: australia, bay, botany, curculionidae, diamond, insect, macro, weevil
