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Rice Weevil Sitophilus oryzae


I found this indoors, in my bathroom. Duff's key separates this species from Maize Weevil Sitophilus zeamais (which I don't think has been recorded in Norfolk) by male genitalia and although the species notes suggest zeamais tends to be darker brown, more shining and with finer microsculpture on the upperparts, he says that only males are safely separable. Mike Hackston's key says that the pronotum of oryzae has "an indication of a median line which is either free of punctures or marked by two regular rows of punctures." On mine the central punctures are arranged more-or-less linearly so that there is a puncture-free line through the middle of the disc (not to the front and rear margins) which I guess is compatible with this? It also says the second segment of the flagellum should be scarcely longer than wide vs. 1.5x as long as broad on zeamais. I think mine is in between.

Unfortunately mine was a female, so I suppose that means I should regard it as either-or, or at least as unconfirmed. With only oryzae on the Norfolk list the odds are clearly in favour of it being that species, though oryzae isn't well-recorded here either. There was no rice or maize in my bathroom or stored elsewhere in the house in a way though could have been infected by weevils.

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female presumed Sitophilus oryzae elytra, pronotum, antenna, leg and internal sclerites/genitalia, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 14th August 2025