The

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

subfamily Curculioninae is part of the

weevil Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Curculionidae. It contains over 23,500 described

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in 2,200 genera, and is therefore the largest weevil subfamily. Given that the

order (Coleoptera) contains about one-quarter of all known

organism In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells (cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and ...

s, the Curculioninae represent one of the – if not ''the'' – most successful radiations of terrestrial

Metazoa Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage in ...

. Many weevils of this group are commonly known as flower weevils or acorn and nut weevils, after a food commonly eaten by Curculioninae

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e and imagines — the reproductive organs of

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

Systematics

This large subfamily is divided into around 30

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

s. Delimitation of the Curculioninae is fairly robust considering its enormous size; there is some dispute, however, in their exact boundary with the

Molytinae Molytinae is a subfamily of weevils described by Carl Johan Schönherr in 1823. Molytinae includes the following tribes: * Amalactini * Aminyopini * Amorphocerini * Anchonini * Cholini * Cleogonini * Conotrachelini * Cycloterini * Dino ...

. The Phrynixini and Trypetidini are also included in the Curculioninae by some authors, but more often they are considered Molytinae; conversely, the Itini are usually placed in the Curculioninae but sometimes in the Molytinae, which are also expanded by certain authors to include, among others, the whole

Cryptorhynchinae Cryptorhynchinae is a large subfamily of weevils ( Curculionidae), with some 6000 species. They are found in most zoogeographic regions although they are most diverse in the Neotropics, Australia and Oceania. They are distinguished by having th ...

. These, as well as the

Ceutorhynchinae Ceutorhynchinae is a subfamily of minute seed weevils in the family of beetles known as Curculionidae. There are at least 150 genera and more than 1000 described species in Ceutorhynchinae worldwide. Genera These 150 genera belong to the sub ...

, are sometimes included in the Curculioninae as additional tribes Cryptorhynchini and Ceutorhynchini. And some genera while almost certainly Curculioninae, are too unusual and/or ancient to be easily assigned to a specific tribe. Features used to distinguish some of the tribes are:

List of tribes

The subfamily Curculioninae consists of the following

s:
Some notable genera are also listed. * Acalyptini Thomson, 1859 ** '' Acalyptus'' ** ''

Anchylorhynchus ''Anchylorhynchus'' is a genus of weevils belonging the family Curculionidae and subfamily Curculioninae. It currently includes 25 described species distributed from Panama to Argentina. Members of the genus are pollinators of palms in the gene ...

'' * AcentriniSeidlitz, 1890 * Acentrusini Alonso-Zarazaga, 2005 * Ancylocnemidini Voss, 1962 * Anoplini Bedel, 1884 * Anthonomini Thomson, 1859 ** '' Anthonomus'' ** '' Brachonyx'' * Camarotini Schönherr, 1833 * Ceratopodini Lacordaire, 1863 * Cionini Schönherr, 1825 ** '' Cionus'' * Cranopoeini Kuschel, 2009 * Cryptoplini Lacordaire, 1863 * Curculionini Latreille, 1802 ** ''

Curculio ''Curculio'' is a genus of weevils belonging the family Curculionidae and subfamily Curculioninae. Members of the genus are commonly referred to as acorn weevils or nut weevils as they infest the seeds of trees such as oaks and hickories. The ...

'' * Derelomini Lacordaire, 1865 * Diabathrariini Lacordaire, 1863 * Ellescini Thomson, 1859 ** '' Dorytomus'' ** '' Ellescus'' * Erodiscini Lacordaire, 1863 * Eugnomini Lacordaire, 1863 ** '' Meriphus'' ** '' Pactolotypus'' * Geochini Zimmerman, 1994 * Gonipterini Lacordaire, 1863 ** '' Gonipterus'' * Itini Reitter, 1913 *

Mecinini Mecinini is a tribe of true weevils in the family of beetles known as Curculionidae. There are at least three genera and about eight described species in Mecinini. Genera These three genera belong to the tribe Mecinini: * ''Cleopomiarus'' Pierc ...

Gistel, 1848 ** '' Mecinus'' ** ''

Rhinusa ''Rhinusa'' is a genus of true weevils in the family of beetles known as Curculionidae. There are at least 20 described species in ''Rhinusa''. Species These 23 species belong to the genus ''Rhinusa'': * ''Rhinusa acephalus'' Stephens, 1829 * ...

'' * Neosharpiini Hoffmann, 1956 * Nerthopini Lacordaire, 1865 *

Otidocephalini Otidocephalini is a tribe of antlike weevils in the beetles family Curculionidae, occurring in North and South America. There are 6 genera in Otidocephalini. Genera Genera belonging to the tribe Otidocephalini: * ''Laemomerus'' Kirsch, 1874 * ' ...

Lacordaire, 1863 * Piazorhinini Lacordaire, 1863 * Prionobrachiini Hustache, 1938 * Pyropini Lacordaire, 1865 *

Rhamphini Rhamphini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Curculioninae The beetle subfamily Curculioninae is part of the weevil family Curculionidae. It contains over 23,500 described species in 2,200 genera, and is therefore the largest weevil subfamil ...

Rafinesque, 1815 ** '' Rhynchaenus'' * Smicronychini Seidlitz, 1891 * Sphaeriopoeini Kuschel, 2003 * Storeini Lacordaire, 1863 ** '' Glaucopela'' ** '' Peristoreus'' * Styphlini Jekel, 1861 ** '' Pseudostyphlus'' * Tychiini Gistel, 1848 ** '' Lignyodes'' ** '' Tychius'' * Ulomascini Lacordaire, 1865 ** '' Misophrice'' * Viticiini Morimoto, 1983

Systematics

List of tribes

See also

Footnotes

References

External links