''Hoherius meinertzhageni'', the ribbonwood fungus weevil, is an endemic New Zealand beetle that has been recorded feeding on the ribbonwood species ''

Plagianthus regius ''Plagianthus regius'' or lowland ribbonwood is a tree that is endemic to New Zealand. The common name is simply ''ribbonwood''. The Māori name is manatu but is also known as houi, manaui manatu, puruhi and whauwhi. The juvenile form has bushy ...

'' and ''

Plagianthus divaricatus ''Plagianthus divaricatus'' or saltmarsh ribbonwood is a plant that is endemic to New Zealand. The Māori name is makaka. ''Plagianthus divaricatus'' is an upright shrub with closely interwoven branches. The shrub is found in coastal environment ...

'' and the mountain lacebark, ''

Hoheria glabrata ''Hoheria glabrata'', the mountain lacebark or ribbonwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, endemic to New Zealand. It is one of the few deciduous trees to be found in N.Z. growing to tall with green leaves that turn yell ...

''.

Taxonomy and description

This species was described by

Thomas Broun Thomas Broun (15 July 1838 – 24 August 1919) was a New Zealand soldier, farmer, teacher and entomologist. He was born in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland on 15 July 1838. BibliographyDescriptions of new genera and species of coleoptera ''Bull ...

from a specimen that was collected by F.H. Meinertzhagen, in Napier, New Zealand. This

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of sever ...

specimen is stored in the

Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...

. Broun originally placed the species within the anthribid genus '' Araeocerus'' and named the species after its collector. The genus ''Hoherius'' is monotypic and named after the plant genus ''

Hoheria ''Hoheria'' is a genus of six species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae. All are endemic to New Zealand. The genus name is a latinization of the Māori language name, ''houhere''. That name, as well as lacebark and ribbonwood, ar ...

'' due to its association with this beetles' larvae. This species is remarkable for its distinctive flat and white rostrum, which is as wide as the thorax in male specimens. The antennae are twice as long as the body. The elytra have a varied colour of brown, black and green. This species is

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

with males conspicuously larger than females. There is further dimorphism among males, with larger males demonstrating broadened heads with longer mandibles and antennae than smaller males.

Distribution

''H. meinertzhageni'' has a widespread distribution across both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, from

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

Southland Southland may refer to: Places Canada * Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Southland Region, a region of New Zealand * Southland County, a former New Zealand county * Southland District, part of the wider Southland Re ...

. It has been collected from sea level to over 1000 metres above sea level.

References

Endemic fauna of New Zealand Beetles of New Zealand Anthribidae Endemic insects of New Zealand {{Anthribidae-stub