A beetle (Anthonomus grandis) whose larvae develop inside cotton flower buds and bolls, native to Mexico or Central America and a pest of United States cotton since the late nineteenth century. Its spread through the American South in the early twentieth century devastated the region's cotton economy, and a long federal eradication program, largely successful by the early twenty first century, remains a landmark case study in area wide pest management.
Facts
Connections
Associated With
Cotton, Crops The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) is historically the most destructive insect pest of cultivated cotton in North America.
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Mesoamerica, originated there.
Sources
1. Boll Weevil (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationOpening definition paragraph
The boll weevil is a species of beetle in the family Curculionidae. The boll weevil
feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central Mexico, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growing areas by the 1920s, devastating the economy and society centered on King Cotton in the American South. During the late 20th century, it became a serious pest in South America as well.
lead description
A beetle (Anthonomus grandis) whose larvae develop inside cotton flower buds and bolls, native to Mexico or Central America and a pest of United States cotton since the late nineteenth century.
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