Azuki bean weevil - Azuki zoomushi (English spelling) Chinese seed beetle

An insect belonging to the family Bruchidae in the order Coleoptera of the class Insecta. It is a major pest of azuki beans, and is found in Japan as well as in temperate and tropical regions around the world. Its body length is around 2.5 mm. The epiphytes are usually brown with horizontal black stripes on the front, back and center, and there is a stripe of white hairs just before the scutellum. The antennae of males are comb-like, while those of females are serrated. They emerge several times a year, laying eggs on the surface skin of stored azuki beans. The larvae feed on the inside of the beans and overwinter. There are two to three similar species.

[Takehiko Nakane]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱甲虫目マメゾウムシ科に属する昆虫。アズキの大害虫で、日本のほか世界の温・熱帯域に広く分布する。体長2.5ミリメートル内外。上ばねは普通褐色で前後と中央に横の黒紋(こくもん)があり、小楯板(しょうじゅんばん)とその直前に白色毛の紋がある。触角は雄ではくし歯状、雌では鋸歯(きょし)状。1年に数回発生し、貯蔵アズキの表面皮に産卵する。幼虫は豆内部を食害し、越冬する。近似種が2～3ある。

［中根猛彦］

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