Adults are roughly 15–25 mm long, with males carrying the much longer neck.
Fine-art photographic collection
Trachelophorus giraffa
A male with a neck built for combat, and a female that rolls a single leaf into a cradle for one egg.
About this species
Giraffe Weevil
Trachelophorus giraffaVoss, 1929
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Trachelophorus giraffa is an extraordinary leaf-rolling weevil endemic to Madagascar’s eastern rainforest. Males use elongated heads and necks in contests, while females use their shorter but powerful necks during nest construction.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Coleoptera · Attelabidae · Trachelophorus
Provisionally accepted by GBIF as Trachelophorus giraffa Voss, 1929. · checked 2026-07-15
the eastern rainforests of MadagascarBroad range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
the eastern rainforests of Madagascar
Humid eastern rainforest with suitable host trees.
Adults are active on foliage.
Adults feed on leaves; the larva consumes the rolled leaf in which it hatches.
Solitary.
What makes this species remarkable?
The male neck is roughly two to three times longer than the female’s and is used to wrestle rivals and knock them from leaves.
A female cuts, folds and rolls a living leaf into a compact capsule, then places a single egg inside before severing the cradle from the plant.
The leaf roll is both nursery and first meal: the larva hatches inside the sealed parcel and consumes the plant tissue around it.
More photographs
6