Adult
2.5-4.5 mm long; wing cases (elytra) reddish brown and hairy; head and thorax darker, strongly punctured and with a purplish to bronzy sheen.
Larva
Up to 4 mm long; whitish, with the brownish head retracted into the swollen prothoracic region.
Egg
0.7×0.5 mm; whitish and translucent.
Other pests with which rhynchites weevil may be confused
Apple blossom weevil (Anthonomus pomorum)
The adult apple blossom weevil is a small beetle, 3.5-6.0 mm long, with a long snout, dark brown to black, covered with brown, greyish and whitish hairs and mottled, with a V-shaped mark across the elytra and a prominent whitish spot between the elytra and thorax.
- It does not have the chestnut red colouring of apple fruit rhynchites.
- It tends to occur earlier in the year though adults can persist through blossom and the new generation of adults emerges in mid-summer.
Apple bud weevil (Anthonomus piri)
The adult of the apple bud weevil is very similar in appearance to the adult apple blossom weevil, but is a lighter, brown colour, and lays its eggs in the autumn and early spring.
- The apple bud weevil is local and rare in the UK and until recently was only recorded on apple though a recent local outbreak has occurred on pear in north Kent.
- It is an important pest of pear in continental Europe.
- The larva infests buds which are hollowed out remaining as dead husks in which the larva is found.
Apple twig cutter (Rhynchites caeruleus)
- A locally common weevil that occurs on apple but the adult is metallic blue in colour and appears much later in May and June causing characteristic shoot severing damage.