False-colour scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the grain weevil Sitophilus granarius emerging from a wheat grain. The weevil is a type of beetle.

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False-colour scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the grain weevil Sitophilus granarius emerging from a wheat grain. The weevil is a type of beetle. Its head is elongated into a snout, called a rostrum, which has blade-like mandibles at its tip. The rostrum bores through the fibrous coat of a wheat grain and the mandibles chew and crush the kernel. Female weevils insert their eggs in cavities dug in the kernel, thereby ensuring a food supply for the larvae. Stored grain is vulnerable to infestations of S. granarius, although its importance as a pest has declined with the use of fumigants and improved storage methods. Magnification: x6 at 35mm size, x12 at 6x7cm size. Ref.: MICROCOSMOS, figure , page 56.

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Size: 3348px × 4177px
Photo credit: © BIOPHOTO ASSOCIATES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, beetle, fauna, grain, granarius, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, nature, sem, sitophilus, weevil, wildlife, zoological, zoology