Exapion fuscirostre
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Exapion fuscirostre (formerly Apion fuscirostre) is a species of straight-snouted weevil known by the general common name Scotch broom seed weevil. It is used as an agent of biological pest control against the noxious weed known as Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius).
The adult weevil is dark gray with a dark band across its elytra and is a laterally compressed shape with a long snout and light brown legs. It is 2–3 millimetres (0.079–0.118 in) long. The adult feeds on new growth at the tips of stems, but the larva does much more damage to the plant. The adult female lays eggs inside the plant's seed pod, where the larvae hatch and consume the seeds over a period of a few weeks.
This weevil is native to Europe. It has been released in the western United States, where it has shown promise as a biocontrol agent for Scotch broom. It is now widespread in the Pacific Northwest. There is a parasitic wasp, Pteromalus sequester, that uses the weevil as a host. This could possibly hinder efforts to keep the weevil established, but further study is needed. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Scotch Broom Seed Weevil sighting in London on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1153rd most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Scotch Broom Seed Weevil in London on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Only London, in our data
London is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Scotch Broom Seed Weevil sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scotch Broom Seed Weevil is recorded against all the insects logged in London (10 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
