Plantain Gall Weevil vs Snouted Harvester Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Plantain Gall Weevil Snouted Harvester Termite
Scientific Name Mecinus pyraster Trinervitermes geminatus
Order Coleoptera Blattodea
Family Curculionidae Termitidae
Size 3-4 mm Workers 3-4 mm, soldiers 4-5 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Gall Makers Herbivores
Regions Europe West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal)
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Plantain Gall Weevil

A small cylindrical weevil that causes stem galls on plantain. Larvae develop inside swollen plant stems. An inconspicuous but very common species.

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Did You Know?

Causes distinctive swellings on plantain stems that are easy to find even when the tiny weevil itself is not visible.

Snouted Harvester Termite

A nasute termite common in West African savannas that harvests dry grass in large foraging columns. Soldiers defend the colony with a chemical spray from their pointed nasus.

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Did You Know?

Foraging columns of this species can strip a patch of grassland bare overnight during peak activity.