Clover Seed Weevil vs Clover Seed Weevil

Protapion apricans compared with Protapion assimile

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clover Seed Weevil	Clover Seed Weevil
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)
Class same	Insecta (แมลง)	Insecta (แมลง)
Order same	Coleoptera (อันดับด้วง)	Coleoptera (อันดับด้วง)
Family same	Apionidae	Apionidae
Genus same	Protapion	Protapion
Species	Protapion apricans	Protapion assimile

Evolutionary Relationship

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

ดู: Genus: Protapion

Conservation Status

Clover Seed Weevil

LC — Least Concern

Clover Seed Weevil

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clover Seed Weevil	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.

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.

Clover Seed Weevil

Protapion assimile is a small apionid weevil in the family Brentidae, subfamily Apioninae, order Coleoptera, known by the shared common name clover seed weevil alongside its congener P. apricans and the unrelated Tychius picirostris. P. assimile is distinguished from P. apricans principally by its host plant preference: while P. apricans predominantly infests red clover (Trifolium pratense), P. assimile shows preference for white clover (Trifolium repens) and alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum), an ecological distinction that reduces direct interspecific competition between these closely related species. Females lay eggs in developing flower heads and seed pods of their respective host plants, and larvae consume developing seeds within the flower head. Adults feed on clover foliage and stems. P. assimile is distributed across Europe and is recorded from Norway and Sweden, inhabiting meadows, pastures, roadsides, and agricultural grasslands where white and alsike clover are present. The species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with populations considered stable across its range. P. assimile can be separated from P. apricans by differences in elytral striation depth, rostrum proportions, and tibial structure, though the two species are frequently confused in field identification due to their similar size and coloration. Both species can cause localized damage to clover seed crops but rarely reach pest status in mixed-clover agricultural systems.