Weevil Cocoon Fossils - Elliston, South Australia
Posted by: 
blingg
S 33° 37.419 E 134° 49.900
53H E 484386 N 6279558
Fossilised weevil cocoons are found along the nearby cliff-tops
Waymark Code: WMVEZK
Location: South Australia, Australia
Date Posted: 04/10/2017
Views: 8
Weevil Cocoon Fossils are locally called "clogs". These are found on the West Coast of Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. The fossils are approx 60mm X 30mm and are of Leptopius duponti weevil and are approximately 100,000 years old.
The female lays her eggs on the leaves of the tree. When the beetle larva hatches, it crawls down the trunk to the soil. The larva lives underground feeding on the roots or underground stems. When fully fed the larva makes a cell in the earth by exuding a secretion which makes the soil or sand set like concrete. The larva enters the pupal stage which last some months. The new adult then pushes its way through the cell wall, burrows to the surface, and climbs a tree, where it spends the rest of it's adult life.
Over the years the topsoil has been eroded by wind and rain leaving the cocoons on the surface
What kinds of fossils are found here:
Cocoon fossils of Leptopius duponti weevil
Admission Fee: no
Link for more information about this site: Not listed
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