[1] The distribution of this species extends from Canada and Massachusetts to North Carolina, Tennessee, and Ohio, and probably farther westward.

[5] Reports from the early 1900s mentioned that large losses in American chestnut production occurred due to infestation by Curculio larvae.

[5] If left unchecked, weevil populations in an orchard can develop rapidly, reaching high levels of infestation in as little as two years.

[10][11] An evolved specialized life style among chestnut weevils and other insect taxa is that female adults bore into specific plant tissue to oviposit.

[15] French research found that, Curculio elephas females oviposited on average 20 eggs into chestnuts per life time/season.

[13] Other research on pecan weevils' ability to fly suggests warm temperature dependency and sex differences.

[17] In Kentucky and Indiana big brown bats were described as specialist predators of night flying beetles such as weevils.

Both the European and North American chestnut weevil species exhibit an optionally extended life cycle.

[22] In Curculio elephas a reported soil emergence from a single weevil larvae generation underneath oak tree canopy varied.

First soil emergence of adults may vary from May, June to July, according to locality and season - growing degree days.

[27] In New York State, the adult population reached it peak in mid October at 2,500 growing degree days.

[27] A mated female weevil uses her long snout to chew a hole in the side of the nut shell or lining.

Research results suggests that European chestnut weevils select a specific nut quality for egg laying.

Clean adult weevil chew holes are usually too small to visually identify on the nut shell.

When hatched, the large, white, legless grubs (larvae) feed on the tissue of the growing chestnut kernels.

[27] Cultural control through orchard sanitation may be a main step in managing chestnut weevil populations.

Chemical control approaches require scouting and positive identification in August and September, and possibly weekly application of broad spectrum insecticides to the top of the orchard canopy.

[31] Postharvest heat treatment of collected chestnuts can stop development of weevil eggs and small larvae without destroying the viability of the nut.

[32] Weevil larvae frass in the chestnut is associated with Aspergillus fungi which produce the diarrheagenic toxin emodin.

The most effective method of identifying weevil presence within an orchard is via limb-tapping over a light colored sheet.