This little fella is Pepe III, the third Pepper Weevil to make it to Jen and Glenn’s house via a green pepper purchased at the grocery store. They found their first in 2017, while preparing a pot of chili. The original lived for more than a year and is the subject of a Bug Bytes podcast episode, The Story of Pepe (2:12 long). In the southern US, Pepper Weevils can be significant crop pests. In this case, this lucky stowaway found the right home—transforming from “pest” to “pet”, and getting all the fresh pepper his little heart desires.
Size: One-eighth of an inch long
Photo by: Glenn Marangelo on 4/19/22 in Missoula, MT