Clover root weevil (Sitona lepidus) - a threat to the sustainability of white clover in New Zealand pastures?

Abstract

Clover root weevil (Sitona lepidus) is established in Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty provinces. A pasture survey in 1997 estimated that the rate of its spread at about 35 km annually. Adults feed on the foliage and larvae on roots and nodules of white clover. Pasture populations appear to be 10 times higher in New Zealand than in the UK. New Zealand's temperate climate and high clover content in pastures may offer a very favourable environment for S. lepidus, with serious implications for New Zealand's pastoral farming. Keywords: clover root weevil, pasture pests, Sitona lepidus, Trifolium repens, white clover