The black vine weevil, also known as the taxus weevil, has become a serious pest in nurseries across the northern United States since its introduction from Europe approximately 150 years ago. The adult weevils are all flightless female beetles that disperse only by crawling. Males are not known to occur, and females produce eggs without mating.
Adults hide during the day in leaf litter, other debris or soil under the plants.
Black vine weevils overwinter in the soil as larvae or as adults in plant debris, buildings or other sheltered areas. The adults tend to be more abundant after wet summers and are commonly found in and around houses, being attracted to lights. They do not cause a household problem indoors other than their presence. Eggs are laid in the soil at the base of host plants and hatch into larvae in about 10 days. The larvae are legless, slightly C-shaped white grubs with brown heads.