Clover Seed Weevil vs White Clover Seed Weevil

Protapion apricans compared with Protapion fulvipes

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clover Seed Weevil	White Clover Seed Weevil
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family same	Apionidae	Apionidae
Genus same	Protapion	Protapion
Species	Protapion apricans	Protapion fulvipes

Evolutionary Relationship

Clover Seed Weevil and White Clover Seed Weevil share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Protapion.

Conservation Status

Clover Seed Weevil

LC — Least Concern

White Clover Seed Weevil

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clover Seed Weevil	White Clover Seed Weevil
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clover Seed Weevil

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

White Clover Seed Weevil

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Clover Seed Weevil

Protapion apricans, one of the weevils sharing the common name clover seed weevil, is a small apionid weevil in the family Brentidae (subfamily Apioninae), order Coleoptera. Unlike Tychius picirostris, which belongs to Curculionidae, Protapion species are classified within Brentidae, reflecting different evolutionary origins despite a broadly similar ecological role. P. apricans is a specialized herbivore of red clover (Trifolium pratense), with larvae feeding within developing flower heads and seeds rather than directly ovipositing into seed pods as Tychius does. Adults feed on the leaves and stems of clover before mating, and females insert eggs into developing flower heads where larvae feed on immature seeds and florets. P. apricans is considered an important pest of red clover seed production in Europe, capable of causing significant yield losses in clover seed crops. The species is distributed across Europe and has been documented from Norway and Sweden. It inhabits meadows, agricultural fields, and grassland habitats wherever red clover grows. P. apricans is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its widespread distribution and stable populations throughout its European range. The species can be distinguished from closely related Protapion species by morphological characters of the rostrum, pronotum, and elytral punctation, requiring careful examination for accurate identification.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden