Lixinae is a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classifica ...

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 unincorporated community in the United States * True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States * ...

s, included in the Molytinae in many older treatments. They are mainly root feeders, although some develop in flower buds or stems. Several

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 appropriat ...

are used in

biological control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also i ...

of invasive weeds, namely knapweeds (''Centaurea''). Characteristics include tarsal claws that are fused at the base, and labial palps are short and telescoping. The body is elongate shape, as for some other weevils. Each tibia bears an uncus (small hook) on its distal end. The rostrum is forwardly directed.

Genesis

Bearing in mind modern geographical distribution of Lixinae and its feeding links, it is considered to be that this subfamily appeared in Euroasian lands, when the area of

Tethys Ocean The Tethys Ocean ( el, Τηθύς ''Tēthús''), also called the Tethys Sea or the Neo-Tethys, was a prehistoric ocean that covered most of the Earth during much of the Mesozoic Era and early Cenozoic Era, located between the ancient continents ...

demenished. Probably, lixine weevils formed as group in the arid conditions of the deserts of Ancient Mediterranean. From here pra-lixine spread out the over dryland.

Taxonomy

There are three

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 is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...

s. The largest of these by far are the Cleonini, sometimes ranked as an independent subfamily in the past: Temnorhinus mendicus

Cleonini * '' Adosomus'' * '' Afghanocleonus'' * '' Ammocleonus'' * '' Aparotopus'' * '' Aplesilus'' * '' Apleurus'' * '' Asinocleonus'' * '' Asproparthenis'' * '' Atactogaster'' * '' Bodemeyeria'' * '' Bothynoderes'' * '' Brachycleonus'' * '' Calodemas'' * '' Centrocleonus'' * '' Chromonotus'' * '' Chromosomus'' * '' Cleonis'' * '' Cleonogonus'' * '' Cleonolithus'' * '' Cnemodontus'' * '' Coniocleonus'' * '' Conorhynchus'' * '' Cosmogaster'' * '' Curculionites'' * '' Cyphocleonus'' * '' Entymetopus'' * '' Eocleonus'' * '' Epexochus'' * '' Ephimeronotus'' * '' Epirrhynchus'' * '' Eumecops'' * '' Eurycleonus'' * '' Georginus'' * '' Gonocleonus'' * '' Hemeurysternus'' * '' Heterocleonus'' * '' Isomerops'' * '' Koenigius'' * '' Leucochromus'' * '' Leucomigus'' * '' Leucophyes'' * '' Liocleonus'' * '' Lixocleonus'' * '' Lixomorphus'' * '' Lixopachys'' * '' Mecaspis'' * '' Menecleonus'' * '' Mesocleonus'' * '' Microcleonus'' * '' Mongolocleonus'' * '' Monolophus'' * '' Neocleonus'' * '' Nomimonyx'' * '' Pachycerus'' * '' Pajnisoodes'' * '' Paraleucochromus'' * '' Pentatropis'' * '' Phaulosomus'' * '' Pleurocleonus'' * '' Pliocleonus'' * '' Porocleonus'' * '' Priorhinus'' * '' Pseudisomerus'' * '' Pseudocleonus'' * '' Pycnodactylopsis'' * '' Resmecaspis'' * '' Rhabdorrhynchus'' * '' Rungsonymus'' * '' Scaphomorphus'' * '' Stephanocleonus'' * '' Surchania'' * '' Temnorhinus'' * '' Terminasiania'' * '' Tetragonothorax'' * '' Trachydemus'' * '' Trichocleonus'' * '' Trichotocleonus'' * '' Whiteheadia'' * '' Xanthochelus'' * '' Xenomacrus'' * '' Zaslavskia'' Lixini * '' Broconius'' * '' Eugeniodecus'' * '' Eustenopus'' * '' Gasteroclisus'' * '' Hololixus'' * '' Hypolixus'' * '' Ileomus'' * '' Lachnaeus'' * '' Larinus'' * '' Lixus'' * '' Microlarinus'' * '' Microlixus'' * '' Mycotrichus'' Rhinocyllini * '' Bangasternus'' * '' Rhinocyllus''

References

External links

Beetle subfamilies {{Curculionidae-stub