Leptopius duponti

Sandstone or gravel nodule that contained the pupa or chrysalis of the Leptopius weevil.
The adult beetle feeds mainly on acacia leaves. The female lays her eggs on the leaves of the tree. When the eggs hatch, the larva descends to the base of the tree, where it lives underground, feeding on the roots or underground stems. When it is fully developed, it prepares to pupate by making a chamber, or cocoon, where the change from larva to adult of the beetle can be experienced. However, instead of spinning a cocoon, the larva makes a soil cell by tamping the soil around it to form a hard wall, perhaps exuding a secretion that causes the soil or sand to form a joint like concrete. The larva enters the pupal phase, which lasts a few months. The new adult then makes its way through the wall to the surface and climbs a tree...