# Cabbage Stem Weevil (*Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus*)

The Cabbage Stem Weevil is a small bug that loves to munch on cabbage and other plants. It has a long snout and tiny legs, making it look quite unique!

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Gardens

![Cabbage Stem Weevil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ceutorhynchus_pallidactylus.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Mick E. Talbot, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ceutorhynchus_pallidactylus.jpg)

## Appearance

The Cabbage Stem Weevil is a small, oval-shaped beetle, typically dull black or dark grey, often appearing dusty due to fine scales. It has a characteristic long, slender snout (rostrum) that extends forward from its head, making it distinctly a weevil.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Coleoptera
- **Family:** Curculionidae
- **Genus:** Ceutorhynchus

## Interesting facts

- It can play dead when scared, freezing perfectly still to trick predators!
- Its babies live completely hidden inside plant stems, safe from most dangers!
- They are not picky, munching on cabbage, broccoli, and even mustard plants!
- Weevils use their long snouts like a tiny drill to make perfect holes!

## Special abilities

- **Stealthy Egg Layer:** Cabbage Stem Weevil can lay its eggs inside plant stems, providing a safe, hidden nursery for its young to develop.
- **Plant Puncher Snout:** Cabbage Stem Weevil has a long, slender snout that helps them bore into plant tissues to feed and lay eggs.
- **Chemical Compass:** Cabbage Stem Weevil can detect specific chemical signals from brassica plants, helping them find their preferred food sources.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 2.5-3.5 mm
- **Lifespan:** 30-90 days
- **Leg Count:** 6

## Diet & Feeding

These tiny beetles munch on the stems and leaves of cabbage, broccoli, and other leafy greens.

- **Age differences:** Larvae feed exclusively inside plant stems; adults feed externally on leaves and stems.
- **Primary Foods:** Brassica oleracea var. capitata, Brassica oleracea var. italica, Brassica napus, Raphanus sativus, Sinapis alba
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** [Cabbage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cabbage) (*Brassica oleracea*) — Primary host plant for feeding and reproduction.
- **Depends on:** Oilseed Rape (*Brassica napus*) — Important host plant in agricultural settings.
- **Eaten by:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Common bird that preys on small insects.
- **Eaten by:** European Ground Beetle (*Pterostichus melanarius*) — Ground beetles are generalist predators of soil-dwelling insects.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

It's best to look at bugs like this from a distance and not touch them.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Cabbage Stem Weevil?

Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How big is Cabbage Stem Weevil?

2.5-3.5 mm

### How long does Cabbage Stem Weevil live?

30-90 days

### What does Cabbage Stem Weevil eat?

These tiny beetles munch on the stems and leaves of cabbage, broccoli, and other leafy greens.

### Where is Cabbage Stem Weevil usually found?

Gardens

### How does Cabbage Stem Weevil hunt?

Foraging

### How many legs does Cabbage Stem Weevil have?

6

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

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Source: [Cabbage Stem Weevil: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cabbage-stem-weevil)