The colorful days of autumn are a bustling time for woodland animals. Many prepare their winter homes. Squirrels, blue jays, and woodpeckers collect and store acorns, an important winter food. But behind the scenes, there is an inconspicuous group that vastly outnumbers the energetic squirrels and jays. Over 100 species of insects feed on the nuts of North American trees, including acorns, the nuts produced by oaks.
Many nut insects cause few problems for humans.
Some, however, like nut weevils, the acorn moth, and the filbertworm destroy so many nuts that it is difficult for trees to reproduce. Acorn insects lead fascinating lives. Many play important ecological roles as consumers of acorns, as food for insect-eating animals, or as pioneers that hollow out acorns which other insects and small animals can use as homes. The longsnouted acorn weevil's snout may be equal to or greater than the length of its body. Adults of both genera feed on acorns, but only the long snouted weevils can chew or drill into the shells to feed on the meat inside.