Hypera postica

[1] Considered a destructive threat to alfalfa production in North America, several accidental introductions have been successfully countered though the use of a variety of biological control species.

[2] It resembles the clover leaf weevil (Hypera punctata), but that species is nearly twice as large, the larvae have tan heads and they seldom cause much damage to alfalfa crops.

After feeding for a week or two, they may experience aestivation during the remainder of the summer, in which they demonstrate a dampening of their metabolic, respiratory and nervous system activities.

[4][5][6][7] In fall, the adults hide in the crowns of alfalfa plants or move onto coarse vegetation in ditches or by fences or in nearby woodland.

[2][8] Both these species of wasp have been investigated for their potential for biological control of the weevil, and B. anurus is generally considered superior to B. curculionis because of its higher reproductive rate.

Larva