The adult weevil is dark gray and hairy and about 4 millimeters long.

The female lays eggs on the flower heads at an early stage of development[1] and stem tips.

Upon emergence the larva burrows into the flower head or makes its way there by tunneling through the stem.

This weevil is native to southern Europe and the Middle East.

It was first released as a knapweed biocontrol in the 1980s in Oregon, and it is currently established in the Pacific Northwest.