weevil
Weevils are beetles belonging to the Taxonomic rank, superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and Herbivore, herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They b ...
family
Curculionidae
The Curculionidae are a family of weevils, commonly called snout beetles or true weevils. They are one of the largest animal families, with 6,800 genera and 83,000 species described worldwide. They are the sister group to the family Brentidae.
T ...
, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''
Entimus
''Entimus'' is a genus of broad-nosed weevils belonging to the family true weevil
True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality.
True may also refer to:
Places
* True, West Virginia, an unincorpor ...
'', ''
Otiorhynchus
''Otiorhynchus'' (sometimes misspelled as ''Otiorrhynchus'') is a large genus of weevils in the family Curculionidae. Many species of the genus, particularly the black vine weevil (''O. sulcatus'') and the strawberry root weevil (''O. ovatus''), ...
'', ''
Phyllobius
''Phyllobius'' is a genus of weevils containing at least 60 described species, some of which are commonly found in Europe.
European species
* '' Phyllobius achardi'' Desbrochers, 1873
* '' Phyllobius aetolicus'' Apfelbeck, 1901
** '' Phyllo ...
'', ''
Sitona
''Sitona'' is a large genus of weevils in the family Curculionidae native to the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Over 100 species have been described. ''Sitona'' is easily distinguished from related genera by flat, recumbent scales on the mand ...
'', and '' Pachyrrhynchus''. In comparison with their stunning diversity, only a few of these weevils are notorious pests of major economic importance. Entimines are commonly encountered in the field, including urban environments, and abundant in entomological collections.
Diversity
There are over 12000 described species worldwide, distributed in over 1370 genera, nearly 14000 by more recent counts. Most tribes are represented in only one biogeographic region of the world. The current classification within the subfamily has been recognized as artificial rather than reflecting natural groups.
General morphology
Besides the shape of their broad and short rostrum, most entimines are easily recognized by the presence of a mandibular scar that appears when a deciduous process falls off the mandible, shortly after the emergence of the adult from the pupal stage.
Ecology
In general, entimines tend to feed on a broad range of plants (
polyphagous
Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffixes -vore, -vory, or -vorous from Latin ''vorare'', meaning "to devour", or -phage, -phagy, or -phagous from Greek φαγε ...
), but there are instances of
oligophagy Oligophagy refers to the eating of only a few specific foods, and to monophagy when restricted to a single food source. The term is usually associated with insect dietary behaviour. They also show preference for habitat or substrate rather than plant specificity.
Entimine weevils are primarily associated with
angiosperms
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
, but there are also species recorded from
gymnosperms
The gymnosperms ( lit. revealed seeds) are a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, ''Ginkgo'', and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term ''gymnosperm'' comes from the composite word in el, Î³Ï…Î¼Î½ÏŒÏ ...
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...
,
Rutaceae
The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE in BoDD – Botanical Derm ...
,
Solanaceae
The Solanaceae , or nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and orn ...
, and many more.
The most commonly seen/known species are usually those associated with vegetation, where there is a trend to find more abundance and less diversity in cultivated areas, whereas forested or less disturbed areas tend to have more diversity and less abundance; there is a lot of diversity represented in the soil and on leaf litter, which is often overlooked.
The most effective method for collecting entimines from vegetation would be using a beating sheet or by manual collecting; for soil entimines the best method would be leaf litter sifting.
Biology
Entimines may lay eggs loosely on the substrate, or in clusters glued onto the vegetation and do not use their rostrum to prepare their oviposition site. Over 50 species of entimines have been reported as parthenogenetic.
The
integument
In biology, an integument is the tissue surrounding an organism's body or an organ within, such as skin, a husk, shell, germ or rind.
Etymology
The term is derived from ''integumentum'', which is Latin for "a covering". In a transferred, or ...
of entimines can be black, reddish, orange and even metallic in coloration. Many species of Entiminae are covered by scales arranged in a broad variety of patterns. Those scales bear three dimensional
photonic crystals
A photonic crystal is an optical nanostructure in which the refractive index changes periodically. This affects the propagation of light in the same way that the structure of natural crystals gives rise to X-ray diffraction and that the atomi ...
within their lumen, which makes the scales iridescent.
Many species are flightless, which usually can be seen externally: the elytral shoulders (outer anterior corners of the
elytra
An elytron (; ; , ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometimes alterna ...
) are reduced to absent in apterous and brachypterous forms and well-developed in species with well-developed wings.
Tribes
The current tribal classification of Entiminae follows Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal for the most part, with a few updates by Bouchard et al. The latest tribal addition is the Namaini Borovec & Meregalli. Currently, there are 55 tribes recognized in the subfamily.
A key to identify tribes is presented by Legalov.
*
Agraphini
Agraphini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae endemic to the east coast of the United States. There are only two genera known, each with one species.
Genera
* ''Agraphus''
* ''Paragraphus
''Paragraphus'' is a genus of broad-nosed w ...
*
Alophini
The Alophini are a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Genera
* ''Acmaegenius''
* '' Centron''
* '' Ctenolobus''
* '' Geralophus''
* '' Graptus''
* '' Lepidophorus''
* '' Limalophus''
* '' Plinthodes''
* '' Pseudalophus''
* '' Pseudobaryn ...
*
Anomophthalmini
The Anomophthalmini comprise a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae
The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimus'', ''Otiorhynchus' ...
*
Anypotactini
The Anypotactini are a Neotropical weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae. It includes 81 described species.
Distribution
The tribe ranges from south-western USA (Texas) to Argentina and Chile and some Caribbean islands. Most genera are distr ...
*
Blosyrini
The Blosyrini comprise a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae
The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimus'', ''Otiorhynchus'', ''P ...
*
Brachyderini
The Brachyderini are a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Genera
* '' Achradidius''
* '' Aedophronus''
* '' Alatavia''
* '' Araxia''
* '' Baladaeus''
* '' Brachyderes''
* '' Caulostrophilus''
* '' Caulostrophus''
* '' Epiphaneus''
* '' ...
*
Celeuthetini
The Celeuthetini are a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Genera
''Acoptorrhynchus'' – ''Albertisius'' – ''Apiezonotus'' – ''Apirocalodes'' – ''Apirocalus'' – ''Apotomorhamphus'' – ''Arrhaphogaster'' – ''Atactoglymma'' – ...
Cratopodini
Cratopodini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Genera
'' Cratopophilus'' – '' Cratopopsis'' – '' Cratopus'' – '' Hemicratopus'' – '' Lujaiella'' – '' Pseudiphisus'' – '' Scaevinus'' – '' Stiamus'' – '' Zyrcosoides'' ...
*
Cylydrorhinini
Cylydrorhinini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Genera
''Caneorhinus'' – ''Cylydrorhinus'' – ''Gastrocis'' – ''Geosomus'' – ''Machaerophrys'' – ''Telurus'' – †''Dorotheus (weevil), Dorotheus''
References
* Lacord ...
*
Cyphicerini
Cyphicerini is a tribe of oriental broad-nosed weevils in the subfamily of beetles known as Entiminae.
Genera
These 134 genera belong to the tribe Cyphicerini:
* ''Acanthotrachelus'' Schoenherr, 1842
* ''Afrodolius'' Marshall, 1946
* ''Afroph ...
*
Ectemnorhinini
Ectemnorhinini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae
The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimus'', ''Otiorhynchus'', ''Phyllo ...
Eustylini
Eustylini is a primarily Neotropical weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Taxonomy
The tribe Eustylini was named for the first time by Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire in 1863, although, when first named, the tribe (Groupe Eustylides, p.&nbs ...
Hormorini
Hormorini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Genera
''Agasphaerops'' – ''Andringitrabius'' – ''Anillobius'' – ''Brachymycterus'' – ''Esmelina'' – ''Eusomostrophus'' – ''Evadodes'' – ''Evadomorpha'' – ''Evas'' – ''G ...
*
Laparocerini
Laparocerini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae
The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimus'', ''Otiorhynchus'', ''Phyllobi ...
Mesostylini
Mesostylini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae
The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimus'', ''Otiorhynchus'', ''Phyllobiu ...
Namaini
Namaini is a tribe of soil-associated weevils from South Africa in the subfamily Entiminae
The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimu ...
*
Naupactini
Naupactini is a tribe of broad-nosed weevils (subfamily Entiminae). Primarily from the Neotropical realm, reaches highest genus and species diversity in South America. Their size varies from 3.5 to 35 mm long, and its colour patterns are di ...
Pachyrhynchini
Pachyrhynchini is a true weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.A new genus and two new species of the tribe Pachyrhynchini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Palawan Island, the Philippines. Yoshitake H, Esakia, 2013, Volume 53, pages 1-8link
G ...
*
Peritelini
Peritelini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Genera
'' Afrotroglorrhynchus'' – '' Anchitelus'' – '' Antispyris'' – '' Aparasystates'' – '' Aperitelus'' – '' Apotmetus'' – '' Aragnomus'' – '' Asceparnus'' – '' Asene ...
Polycatini
Polycatini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
References
* Marshall, G.A.K. 1956: Notes on the Campyloscelinae (Coleoptera Curculionidae). Revue de zoologie et de botanique africaines, 54(3-4): 224–240.
* Alonso-Zarazaga, M.A.; ...
Premnotrypini
Premnotrypini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Genera
'' Microtrypes'' – ''Premnotrypes
''Premnotrypes'' (Andean potato weevil) is a genus of weevils (which are beetles). It was described in 1914 by American entomologist ...
*
Pristorhynchini
Pristorhynchini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae
The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimus'', ''Otiorhynchus'', ''Phyll ...
Rhyncogonini
Rhyncogonini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Genera
''Microgonus'' – ''Psomeles'' – ''Rhyncogonus''
References
* Sharp, D. 1919: Studies in Rhynchophora. 4. An aberrant new genus and tribe from New Guinea. Entomologist's ...
*
Sciaphilini
Sciaphilini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae.
Genera
''Abarypeithes'' – ''Alocyrtus'' – ''Ameladus'' – ''Amicromias'' – ''Archeophloeus'' – ''Balchaschia'' – ''Barypeithes'' – ''Brachysomus'' – ''Chaetopantus'' – ...
Tanymecini
Tanymecini is a tribe of broad-nosed weevils in the beetle family Curculionidae, subfamily Entiminae. Subtribes and genera Piazomiina
# ''Achlainomus'' G. R. Waterhouse, 1853
# ''Aphaeromias'' Nasreddinov, 1978
# ''Atmetonychus'' Schönherr, 1 ...
*
Tanyrhynchini
Tanyrhynchini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae
The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimus'', ''Otiorhynchus'', ''Phyllob ...
Typhlorhinini
Typhlorhinini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae
The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimus'', ''Otiorhynchus'', ''Phyllob ...
References
Further reading
*Donald E. Bright, Patrice Bouchard. ''The Insects and Arachnids of Canada'', Part 25: ''Coleoptera. Curculionidae. Entiminae. Weevils of Canada and Alaska''. Vol. 2. Ottawa, NRC Research Press, 2008. .