Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00143
Rough Sweetpotato Weevil
Blosyrus asellus
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About Rough Sweetpotato Weevil
Rough Sweetpotato Weevil (Blosyrus asellus) is a member of Curculionidae in the order Coleoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.
The rough sweetpotato weevil, Blosyrus asellus, is an introduced broad-nosed weevil documented from Kauaʻi. Public host records include sweet potato, rice, and grasses, and the species has been treated in Hawaiʻi as a potential crop pest.
Kauaʻi occurrence evidence: Matsunaga, Howarth & Kumashiro (2019) Table 1 includes Kauaʻi island code 'Ka'; first-detection year shown as 2009; reported island distribution: Ha, Ka, Oa.
The cited occurrence evidence does not by itself establish current abundance or population trend on Kauaʻi.
Life cycle
Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult. Species-specific developmental timing on Kauaʻi is not well documented in public sources; broad-nosed weevil larvae are generally soil/root associated and adults feed on plants, but this should not be treated as a Kauaʻi-specific observation without local data.
Habitat
Agricultural and disturbed vegetation associated with host plants; public records list sweet potato, rice, and grasses as hosts.
Food and ecological role
Plant-feeding weevil; reported hosts include sweet potato, rice, and grasses. The relative importance of each host on Kauaʻi is unresolved.
Reproduction
Sexual, oviparous beetle; Kauaʻi-specific oviposition sites and generation timing require local study.
Movement
Adults are mobile on host vegetation; movement with agricultural plants or soil-associated material is a plausible pathway requiring quarantine awareness.
Ecosystem role
Introduced herbivore and potential crop pest.
Threats and impacts
Potential injury to sweet potato and other host plants; Kauaʻi economic impact has not been quantified in the accessible literature used for this tranche.
Monitoring
Record host plant, plant part damaged, life stage, and locality for Kauaʻi observations; prioritize agricultural detections and voucher-backed host records.
Kauaʻi evidence
High-risk plant pest included in Kauaʻi entry-point surveillance planning.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Blosyrus asellus
- Common names
- Rough Sweetpotato Weevil
- Family
- Curculionidae
- Order
- Coleoptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
- Evidence date
- 2026-09-26
- Evidence limits
- Live extent/status and canonical linkage must be refreshed against current Atlas/agency data before final public release.
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Agriculture, horticulture and natural vegetation
- Food and resource needs
- Taxon-specific requirements under review
- Reproduction
- Not yet assessed
- Shelter
- Agriculture, horticulture and natural vegetation
Threats and conservation
- Threats
- Agriculture, horticulture and natural vegetation
- Conservation actions
- early detection and prevention of establishment
- Monitoring
- early detection and prevention of establishment
- Data gaps
- Live extent/status and canonical linkage must be refreshed against current Atlas/agency data before final public release. · Establishment requirements need review
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Not yet assessed
- Seasonal description
- Rough Sweetpotato Weevil (Blosyrus asellus) is a member of Curculionidae in the order Coleoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.