# Yellow Poplar Weevil (*Odontopus calceatus*) The Yellow Poplar Weevil is a small bug that loves to munch on the leaves of tulip trees. They have a shiny yellow body with black spots, making them easy to spot on the trees they like! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Yellow Poplar Weevil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tulip_Tree_Leafminer_-_Odontopus_calceatus_%2848527885406%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Christina Butler from Georgia, United States, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tulip_Tree_Leafminer_-_Odontopus_calceatus_%2848527885406%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Yellow Poplar Weevil is a small, oval-shaped insect, typically dark brown to black in color, often with yellowish-brown scales on its wing covers. It has a distinctive long, downward-curving snout, or proboscis, extending from its head. Its body is somewhat pear-shaped. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Curculionidae - **Genus:** Odontopus ## Interesting facts - Adult weevils often play dead, falling off leaves to escape scary predators. - Its long snout is actually its mouth, used like a tiny drill and a straw! - This weevil can make an entire tree's leaves look rusty brown from all their munching! - Young weevils are tiny leaf miners, tunneling hidden highways inside leaves! ## Special abilities - **Leaf Miner Power:** Yellow Poplar Weevil larvae can tunnel inside leaves because their tiny bodies fit perfectly, helping them hide from predators while they eat. - **Snooty Feeder:** The Yellow Poplar Weevil has a long snout that helps them pierce and chew plant tissues to slurp up yummy sap and plant juices. - **Hard Shell Protection:** The Yellow Poplar Weevil has a tough, protective exoskeleton that helps them resist attacks from predators like birds and spiders. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 2.5-3.5 mm - **Lifespan:** 30-60 days - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding These weevils are plant-eaters, feasting on leaves of trees like the yellow poplar. - **Age differences:** Larvae tunnel and feed within leaves (leaf miners), while adults chew holes and skeletonize leaves. - **Primary Foods:** Liriodendron tulipifera leaves, Magnolia grandiflora leaves, Sassafras albidum leaves - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Tulip Poplar (*Liriodendron tulipifera*) — eats its leaves - **Eats:** [Southern Magnolia](https://www.snappit.app/explore/southern-magnolia) (*Magnolia grandiflora*) — feeds on its leaves - **Eaten by:** [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) — a common food source - **Parasitizes:** Braconid Wasp (*Microctonus calceati*) — lays eggs inside adults ## Traits - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [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 These bugs are not harmful, but it's best to look and not touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Yellow Poplar 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 Yellow Poplar Weevil? 2.5-3.5 mm ### How long does Yellow Poplar Weevil live? 30-60 days ### What does Yellow Poplar Weevil eat? These weevils are plant-eaters, feasting on leaves of trees like the yellow poplar. ### Where is Yellow Poplar Weevil usually found? Forests ### How does Yellow Poplar Weevil hunt? Foraging ### How many legs does Yellow Poplar Weevil have? 6 ## Where to spot - [Chandon Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chandon-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Garland Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/garland-hill-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District - [Fort Hunt](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-hunt) — Virginia, US · Historic Site - [Green Spring Gardens Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/green-spring-gardens-park) — Virginia, US · Botanical Garden - [Lower Basin Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-basin-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District - [Bruin Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bruin-park) — Virginia, US · Park [View all places to see Yellow Poplar Weevil](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellow-poplar-weevil) ## 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*) --- Source: [Yellow Poplar Weevil: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-poplar-weevil)