Coriander Seed Weevil

(Systole coriandri), a small hymenopterous insect, measuring 1.5–2.5 mm in length, which is a pest of coriander, thyme, fennel, and other umbellifers. In the USSR it is found in Armenia, Georgia, Middle Asia, and the steppe zone of the European USSR. The weevil has one or, frequently, two to three generations annually. The adults are parasites on the flowers of various plants. The larvae live in the fruits of umbellifers, eating the endosperm and thereby significantly limiting germination of the seeds and reducing the seeds’ weight and content of fatty and essential oils. Preventive measures include thermal and chemical disinfection of seeds, weed control, prompt harvest of crops without losses, late-fall plowing, and application of insecticides on the plants.