away at a sea grape leaf, one of about 70 reported host plants in Florida. Adult
specimen measure from 6 to 8 mm’s, with females at the upper range. Pg. 1 of 8
With this picture report I don’t intend to repeat much about the species that is
out there already. What I will do is inform with photographic evidence.
For some time I had noticed little white bugs swirling around outdoor lamps at night.
Just another harmless nuisance I assumed. Wrong as wrong can be. While working
on Mangroves for the Planet I noticed the kind of damage they can cause. Billions
of $’s, according to FL’s Dept. of Agriculture. Mangroves happen to be the first line of
defense against coastal erosion, followed by equally sturdy Sea Grapes. In many areas the plants grow in close proximity. It appears that in such settings ravenous weevils
use land based sea grapes (+ a few others) for attacks on Red (!!!) Mangroves which
in most places do not provide the ground needed for egg burying. White Mangroves
are less affected, black ones hardly at all, providing that Reds are in the vicinity.
