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Mandalotus sp.
The mandalotus weevil is a sporadic pest of canola, cereals and beans. Adults are 3-5 mm long, round and dull brown in appearance, often resembling a small clod of dirt. They are mostly active at night; during the day they can be found hiding under dirt and trash. Mandalotus weevils occur mainly on rubbly, lighter soil types in the mallee districts of southern Australia. Little is known about their life cycle. Usually, feeding damaged is first noticed on the leaves of emerging crop plants. In severe cases the seedlings are often ‘ring barked’ just above ground level. This causes the plants to fall to the ground where the weevils continue feeding on the leaves.
