Acanthoscelides obtectus

Bean weevil
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Chrysomelidae
Genus: Acanthoscelides
Species:
A. obtectus
Binomial name
Acanthoscelides obtectus
(Say, 1831)
Synonyms
  • Bruchus obtectus Say, 1831
  • Mylabris mimosae (Oliver, 1811)
  • Mylabris obtectus (Say, 1831)

Acanthoscelides obtectus, the bean weevil, is a species of bruchid beetle. The species was described in 1831 by Thomas Say.

Bean weevils feed primarily on the seeds of common beans but also feed on the seeds of peas, vetches, and many other leguminous plants. They have also been reported to develop on the seeds of a few non-legumes, such as maize and buckwheat. Bean weevils are pests of legume seeds both in field and in storage. Only the larvae feed on seeds: the adults feed on pollen.

Originating in mountainous regions of northern South America, it has been inadvertently introduced to Central America, then around the world in grain shipments.