Fossil history of Mesozoic weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)

Abstract The first synopsis of Mesozoic weevils (Curculionoidea: Coleoptera) is presented. Changes of family, genera and species abundance during the Mesozoic revealed three distributional patterns. The Jurassic (Karatau) fauna was dominated by the Nemonychidae. During the Early Cretaceous (beginning at the Jurassic/Cretaceous border), the Ithyceridae was the prevalent group with a significant role played by the Nemonychidae. In the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian and Turonian), the major groups were the Curculionidae and Brentidae. Obviously, the change of weevil fauna during this period was due to the expansion of the angiosperms, which provided multiple niches in their vegetative and reproductive organs for weevil development.     

Rostrum structure and development in the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Dryophthoridae)

A documentation and review of weevil rostrum growth is made through examination of the developmental life stages in the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus). Histological and morphological examinations are made utilizing light, fluorescent, and electron microscopy. In S. oryzae, rostral tissue begins proliferating in the late 4th instar larva and continues through to the pupal stage, with the majority of rostrum growth taking place in the prepupa. Adult cranial and rostral morphology is also reviewed, focusing on structures that may be pertinent to phylogeny reconstruction. The weevil rostrum is essentially an extension of various head sclerites that are basal to the mouthparts. Therefore, while the mouthparts are fairly similar to other Coleoptera in basic form, the head is markedly different due to its anterior extension. By understanding the more noticeable details of rostrum growth and structure, this study may serve as a foundation for comparative studies of a similar nature and as a basis for beginning research on the genetic nature of rostrum formation and evolution throughout the weevil clade.     

New and little known weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) from the Paleocene of Menat (France)

Two new genera Petropsis gen. n., and Menatorhis gen. n., and two species, Petropsis rostrata gen. et sp. n. (Ithyceridae) and Perapion menatensis sp. n. (Brentidae), are described from the Paleocene of Menat (France). Petropsis rostrata gen. et sp. n. is similar to Cretocar luzzii Gratshev et Zherikhin (2000) but differs from it in the comparatively short ventrites 1 and 2, almost straight and not dilated metatibiae, short precoxal portion of the prosternum, slightly convex elytra and antennae inserted more closely to the middle of the rostrum. Perapion menatensis sp. n. is similar to Perapion antiquum (Gyllenhal, 1833) but differs from it in the straight rostrum, sparser and finer punctures of the pronotum, and somewhat larger body. The families Ithyceridae and Brentidae are recorded for the first time in the Paleocene of Menat. The systematic positions of Balaninus elegans Piton (1940) (type species of Menatorhis gen. n.) and Hipporhinus ventricosus Piton (1940) are discussed.     

Towards the phylogeny of the Curculionoidea (Coleoptera): Reconstructions from mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences

With about 60,000 described species, Curculionoidea represent the most species-rich superfamily in the animal kingdom. The immense diversity apparently creates difficulties in the reconstruction of the phylogenetic relationships. Independent morphological studies have led to very different classifications. This study is based on molecular data from two independent molecular sources, the 16S and 18S rDNA. Sensitivity analyses were conducted for the sequence alignment (gap costs were varied) as well as the phylogenetic reconstruction algorithms and some of their parameters. The higher-level relationships reconstructed within Curculionoidea are sensitive to alignment and reconstruction method. Nemonychidae or Oxycorynidae+Belidae were found to be sister to all remaining Curculionoidea in many analyses. The 16S rDNA sequence data (obtained from 157 species) corroborate many tribes and genera as monophyletic. It is observed that the phylogenetic reconstruction of genera with specific genetic features such as polyploidy and parthenogenetic reproduction is difficult in weevils. The curculionid subfamily Lixinae appears monophyletic. A new monophylum consisting of Entiminae, Hyperinae, Cyclominae, Myllorhinus plus possibly the Cossoninae is distinguished and we call it Entiminae s.l. For most other subfamilies and families homoplasy concealed the phylogenetic signal (due to saturation of the 16S sequences), or the species sampling was insufficient, although our sampling scheme was rather broad. We observed that although data from one source can easily be misleading (16S) or hardly informative (18S), the combination of the two independent data sets can result in useful information for such a speciose group of organisms. Our study represents the most thorough analysis of molecular sequence data of the Curculionoidea to date and although the phylogenetic results appear less stable than expected, they reflect the information content of these sequence data realistically and thus contribute to the total knowledge about the phylogeny of the Curculionoidea.     

Fossil Mesozoic and Cenozoic weevils (Coleoptera,Obrienioidea, Curculionoidea)

All known extinct species of Mesozoic and Cenozoic weevils are listed. Ten species of Obrienioidea and 895 Curculionoidea species are recognized, including 88 Nemonychidae, 43 Anthribidae, 44 Ithyceridae, 65 Scolytidae, 12 Belidae, 67 Brentidae, 508 Curcuionidae, 45 Rhynchitidae, six Attelabidae, and 16 Platypodidae. The Triassic beds have yielded six fossil species; Jurassic, 64; Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary, 2; Cretaceous, 105; Paleogene, 510; Neogene, 190; and Pleistocene–Holocene, 22 (5 are synonyms). A new subfamily, Montsecbelinae Legalov, subfam. nov. (with the type genus Montsecbelus Zherikhin et Gratshev, 1997); the new tribes Cretochoragini Legalov, trib. nov. (with the type genus Cretochoragus Soriano et al., 2006), Montsecanomalini Legalov, trib. nov. (with the type genus Montsecanomalus Soriano et al., 2006), Montsecbelini Legalov, trib. nov. (with the type genus Montsecbelus Zherikhin et Gratshev, 1997), Gratshevibelini Legalov, trib. nov. (with the type genus Gratshevibelus Soriano, 2009), Davidibelini Legalov, trib. nov. (with the type genus Davidibelus Zherikhin et Gratshev, 2004); the new genera Allandroides Legalov, gen. nov. (with the type species Allandroides vossi Legalov, sp. nov.), Baissabrenthorhinus Legalov, gen. nov. (with the type species Baissabrenthorhinus mirabilis Legalov, sp. nov.), Ithyceroides Legalov, gen. nov. (with the type species Ithyceroides klondikensis Legalov, sp. nov.), Furhylobius Legalov, gen. nov. (with the type species Furhylobius troesteri Legalov, sp. nov.), Electrauletes Legalov, gen. nov. (with the type species Electrauletes unicus Legalov, sp. nov.); new species Allandroides vossi Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), Glaesotropis gusakovi Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), G. succiniferus Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), G. alleni Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), G. gratshevi Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), Baissabrenthorhinus mirabilis Legalov, sp. nov. (Baissa locality), Ithyceroides klondikensis Legalov, sp. nov. (Republic Graben locality), Melanapion poinari Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), M. gusakovi Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), Furhylobius troesteri Legalov, sp. nov. (Mors locality), Baltocar convexus Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), and Electrauletes unicus Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber) are newly described.     

Fossil weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from latitude 85°S Antarctica

Two species of fossil listroderine weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Rhytirhinini: Listroderina) are reported from the Meyer Desert Formation at a locality on the Beardmore Glacier in the Transantarctic Mountains about 500 km from the South Pole. Associated fossils include wood, leaves and pollen of Nothofagus, stems and leaves of several species of mosses, achenes of Ranunculus, shells of freshwater molluscs and a fish tooth. The age of the fossiliferous strata is contentious but probably within the range of Pliocene to mid-Miocene. The fossils represent organisms that colonised the margins of a glacier at the head of a fjord during an interglaciation. The autecology of the listroderine species indicates that temperatures during summer months averaged 5°C. The mean annual temperature, with winter temperatures constrained by 6 months of darkness, is estimated to have been about −8°C compared to the −26°C estimated for sea level at latitude 85°S today. The closest evolutionary link of the fossil listroderines is with South American rather than Australian or New Zealand taxa. Divergence of the taxa, at least at the level of tribe, had most probably occurred on Gondwana before the continent broke apart. The fossil species are considered to be the descendants of Antarctic lineages which evolved on the continent in the Late Cretaceous or Palaeogene and survived until the Neogene. Extinction of the listroderines and most other Antarctic terrestrial biota occurred with the growth of the polar ice sheets and the change to the polar desert climate.     

On the appearance of new weevils of the family Apionidae (Coleoptera,Curculionoidea) in Primorskii Territory

Data on three species of Apionidae that had appeared in Primorskii Territory (the southern Russian Far East) in the recent decade are given—Stenopterapion meliloti (Kby.), Stenopterapion tenue (Kby.), and Pseudopiezotrachelus collare (Schils.). All the species are known as pests of legume forage grasses (the former two, in the Western Palaearctic) and grain legumes (= pulses) in subtropical and tropical Asia and Australia (Pseudopiezotrachelus collare).     

New curculionoid beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) from the Baltic amber

New genera and species of curculionid beetles from the Baltic amber, Pseudoglaesotropis martynovi gen. et sp. nov. (Anthribidae), Palaeometrioxena zherikhini gen. et sp. nov. (Belidae), Eocenorhynchites vossi gen. et sp. nov. (Rhynchitidae), and Archaeosciaphilus marshalli gen. et sp. nov. (Curculionidae), are described.     

Decline in the diversity of willow trunk-dwelling weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) as a result of urban expansion in Beijing,China

Beijing, the capital and second largest city of China, expanded in a typical concentric pattern. The urbanized area consists of five concentric zones, which are based on the city’s ring road system. Willow trees (Salix spp.) are commonly planted and abundant in the city. In this study, we determined the effects of urbanization on willow trunk-dwelling weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) in a 3-year survey. Our results indicated that species richness and abundance decreased from outskirts to the urban center. It was estimated that within a 30-km limit, species richness and abundance might be reduced by 0.9 species and 59.3% of individuals per 5 km toward urban center. Landscape variables (e.g., the proportion of impervious surface and distance to urban center) explained 59.4% of species richness and 43.9% of species abundance. Local variables (e.g., plant resources and site size) explained only 4.9% of species richness and 4.7% of species abundance. Our results show that there is a negative relationship between urban expansion and weevil diversity. There are several ways in which such detrimental effects on biodiversity could be mitigated: (1) Optimization of urban landscape structures, as well as vegetation planting; (2) increasing connectivity between urban remnants and natural landscapes in the outskirts of the city; and (3) limiting the proportion of impervious surface in inner urban zones.     

The evolutionary history of maternal plant-manipulation and larval feeding behaviours in attelabid weevils (Coleoptera; Curculionoidea)

Attelabid weevils manipulate specific structures of their host plants in a species-specific manner, e.g., cutting a shoot, cutting a leaf, rolling a leaf, or constructing sophisticated wrapped leaf rolls, presumably to secure the survivorship of eggs or larvae. To depict the evolutionary history of maternal plant-manipulation behaviours and larval feeding strategies of the family Attelabidae, molecular phylogenetic analyses were conducted by sequencing the nuclear 18S and 28S ribosomal DNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I genes. Our analyses indicated that the attelabid weevils form a monophyletic group, and that maternal plant-cutting behaviour originated in a common ancestor of Attelabidae, but was subsequently lost in several lineages. Monophyly of the subfamily Attelabinae was also recovered with high support, but the subfamily Rhynchitinae was not recovered as monophyletic. By employing maximum-likelihood-based ancestral state reconstructions, larval leaf-blade feeding was inferred to have evolved from boring of cut shoots/petioles. Moreover, maternal leaf-rolling behaviours likely originated independently in the Attelabinae and Byctiscini lineages, and in several Deporaini lineages. As the sophisticated behaviours constructing wrapped leaf rolls of Attelabinae originated only once and has not been lost from the lineage, these complex and innovative behaviours may have contributed to the success and diversification of the lineage.     

New Curculionoidea (Coleoptera) records for Canada

The following species of Curculionoidea are recorded from Canada for the first time, in ten cases also representing new records at the generic level: Ischnopterapion (Ischnopterapion) loti (Kirby, 1808); Stenopterapion meliloti (Kirby, 1808) (both Brentidae); Atrichonotus taeniatulus (Berg, 1881); Barinus cribricollis (LeConte, 1876); Caulophilus dubius (Horn, 1873); Cionus scrophulariae (Linnaeus, 1758); Cryptorhynchus tristis LeConte, 1876; Cylindrocopturus furnissi Buchanan, 1940; Cylindrocopturus quercus (Say, 1832); Desmoglyptus crenatus (LeConte, 1876); Pnigodes setosus LeConte, 1876; Pseudopentarthrum parvicollis (Casey, 1892); Sibariops confinis (LeConte, 1876); Sibariops confusus (Boheman, 1836); Smicronyx griseus LeConte, 1876; Smicronyx lineolatus Casey, 1892; Euwallacea validus (Eichhoff, 1875); Hylocurus rudis (LeConte, 1876); Lymantor alaskanus Wood, 1978; Phloeotribus scabricollis (Hopkins, 1916); Scolytus oregoni Blackman, 1934; Xyleborus celsus Eichhoff, 1868; Xyleborus ferrugineus (Fabricius, 1801); Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky, 1866) (all Curculionidae). In addition the following species were recorded for the first time from these provinces and territories: Yukon – Dendroctonus simplex LeConte, 1868; Phloetribus piceae Swaine, 1911 (both Curculionidae); Northwest Territories – Loborhynchapion cyanitinctum (Fall, 1927) (Brentidae); Nunavut – Dendroctonus simplex LeConte, 1868 (Curculionidae); Alberta – Anthonomus tectus LeConte, 1876; Promecotarsus densus Casey, 1892; Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, 1902; Hylastes macer LeConte, 1868; Rhyncolus knowltoni (Thatcher, 1940); Scolytus schevyrewi Semenov Tjan-Shansky, 1902 (all Curculionidae); Saskatchewan – Phloeotribus liminaris (Harris, 1852); Rhyncolus knowltoni (Thatcher, 1940); Scolytus schevyrewi Semenov Tjan-Shansky, 1902 (all Curculionidae); Manitoba – Cosmobaris scolopacea Germar, 1819; Listronotus maculicollis (Kirby, 1837); Listronotus punctiger LeConte, 1876; Scolytus schevyrewi Semenov Tjan-Shansky, 1902; Tyloderma foveolatum (Say, 1832); (all Curculionidae); Ontario – Trichapion nigrum (Herbst, 1797); Nanophyes marmoratus marmoratus (Goeze, 1777) (both Brentidae); Asperosoma echinatum (Fall, 1917); Micracis suturalis LeConte, 1868; Orchestes alni (Linnaeus, 1758); Phloeosinus pini Swaine, 1915; Scolytus schevyrewi Semenov Tjan-Shansky, 1902; Xyleborinus attenuatus (Blandford, 1894) (all Curculionidae); Quebec – Trigonorhinus alternatus (Say, 1826); Trigonorhinus tomentosus tomentosus (Say, 1826) (both Anthribidae); Trichapion nigrum (Herbst, 1797); Trichapion porcatum (Boheman, 1839); Nanophyes marmoratus marmoratus (Goeze, 1777) (all Brentidae); Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, 1952 (Brachyceridae); Acalles carinatus LeConte, 1876; Ampeloglypter ampelopsis (Riley, 1869); Anthonomus rufipes LeConte, 1876; Anthonomus suturalis LeConte, 1824; Ceutorhynchus hamiltoni Dietz, 1896; Curculio pardalis (Chittenden, 1908); Cyrtepistomus castaneus (Roelofs, 1873); Larinus planus (Fabricius, 1792); Mecinus janthinus (Germar, 1821); Microhyus setiger LeConte, 1876; Microplontus campestris (Gyllenhal, 1837); Orchestes alni (Linnaeus, 1758); Otiorhynchus ligustici (Linnaeus, 1758); Rhinusa neta (Germar, 1821); Trichobaris trinotata (Say, 1832); Tychius liljebladi Blatchley, 1916; Xyleborinus attenuatus (Blandford, 1894); Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff, 1868 (all Curculionidae); Sphenophorus incongruus Chittenden, 1905 (Dryophthoridae); New Brunswick – Euparius paganus Gyllenhal, 1833; Allandrus populi Pierce, 1930; Gonotropis dorsalis (Thunberg, 1796); Euxenus punctatus LeConte, 1876 (all Anthribidae); Loborhynchapion cyanitinctum (Fall, 1927) (Brentidae); Pseudanthonomus seriesetosus Dietz, 1891; Curculio sulcatulus (Casey, 1897); Lignyodes bischoffi (Blatchley, 1916); Lignyodes horridulus (Casey, 1892); Dietzella zimmermanni (Gyllenhal, 1837); Parenthis vestitus Dietz, 1896; Pelenomus squamosus LeConte, 1876; Psomus armatus Dietz, 1891; Rhyncolus macrops Buchanan, 1946; Magdalis inconspicua Horn, 1873; Magdalis salicis Horn, 1873 (all Curculionidae); Nova Scotia – Dryocoetes autographus (Ratzeburg, 1837); Ips perroti Swaine, 1915; Xyleborinus attenuatus (Blandford, 1894) (all Curculionidae); Prince Edward Island – Dryocoetes caryi Hopkins, 1915 (Curculionidae); Newfoundland – Scolytus piceae (Swaine, 1910) (Curculionidae).Published records of Dendroctonus simplex LeConte, 1868 from Northwest Territories should be reassigned to Nunavut, leaving no documented record for NWT. Collection data are provided for eight provincial and national records published without further information previously.     

New Weevils (Coleoptera,Curculionoidea) from the Earlymost Eocene Oise Amber

Paleontological Journal - Several new tribes, genera and species of Curculionoidea are described from the earlymost Eocene Oise amber (France), viz., the new tribes Oiserhinini trib. nov. (type...     

Notes on chromosome numbers and C-banding patterns in karyotypes of some weevils from central Europe (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea: Apionidae, Nanophyidae, Curculionidae)

Chromosome numbers and C-banding patterns of sixteen weevil species are presented. The obtained results confirm the existence of two groups of species with either a small or large amount of heterochromatin in the karyotype. The first group comprises twelve species (Apionidae: Oxystoma cerdo, Eutrichapion melancholicum, Ceratapion penetrans, Ceratapion austriacum, Squamapion flavimanum, Rhopalapion longirostre; Nanophyidae: Nanophyes marmoratus; Curculionidae: Centricnemus (=Peritelus) leucogrammus, Sitona humeralis, Sitona lineatus, Sitona macularis, Sitona suturalis). In weevils with a small amount of heterochromatin, tiny grains on the nucleus during interphase are visible, afterwards appearing as dark dots during mitotic and meiotic prophase. The second group comprises four species from the curculionid subfamily Cryptorhynchinae (Acalles camelus, Acalles commutatus, Acalles echinatus, Ruteria hypocrita) which possess much larger heteropycnotic chromosome parts visible during all nuclear divisions. The species examined have pericentromeric C-bands on autosomes and on the X chromosome.     

On the chromosomes of the bisexual weevils of the genus Catapionus (Curcilionidae: Coleoptera)

The chromosomes of three Japanese weevil species of the genus Catapionus were studied in male and female germ line cells.     

Dispersal of boll weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from cotton modules before ginning

We characterized the level of risk of boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman, reintroduction to an eradication zone posed by dispersal from cotton modules during and after transport to the gin. Mark-release-recapture experiments in August and September in Texas indicated that most weevils disperse rapidly from the module surface, temperature permitting, unless confined under a module tarp, where most died. Nevertheless, 1-5% of released weevils were recovered alive after 24 h on the side and top surfaces of modules, representing potential dispersants. Mortality of boll weevils caged on the top surface of a module was 95-100% after 1-4 d when maximum air temperatures were > or = 33 degrees C and 72-100% when minimum temperatures were -7 degrees C or lower, but a few survived even after experiencing a minimum daily temperature of -12 degrees C. Under warm (daily maximum temperatures > or = 25 degrees C) and cold (daily minimum temperatures < or = 0 degrees C) weather conditions, survival was higher under the tarp than on the open surface of the module (20 versus 7% and 42 versus 26%, respectively), but mortality was 100% in both locations when temperatures reached 34 degrees C. Our results indicate that although the threat to an eradication zone posed by boll weevil dispersal from an infested module is very low under most environmental conditions, it is probably greatest when 1) a module is constructed and transported from an infested zone during weather too cool for flight, followed by warm weather favorable for flight at the gin yard; or 2) such a module is transported immediately after construction in moderate-to-warm weather.     

A new genus of nemonychid weevil from Burmese amber (Coleoptera,Curculionoidea)

The first fossil nemonychid (Nemonychidae) in Burmese amber, belonging to the subfamily Rhinorhynchinae, is described and figured as Burmonyx zigrasi Davis & Engel, gen. n. and sp. n. While this specimen also comprises the first definitive record of the subfamily in the Asian continent, other compression fossils exist at least from the Yixian Formation of China and the Karatau site of Kazakhstan which may also deserve placement within this group. Although several important areas of the body are obscured by the shape and fragmented condition of the amber piece, a sufficient number of features are visible to consider adequate placement within Rhinorhynchinae, including the fairly strongly punctate elytral striae and appendiculate, nearly bifid pretarsal claws.     

Adaptation for oviposition into concealed cycad ovules in the cycad weevils Antliarhinus zamiae and A. signatus (Goleoptera: Gurculionoidea)

Antliarhinus zamiae (Thunberg) and A. signatus Gyllenhal are the only insects known in which the larvae feed exclusively on the cycad gametophyte. In their host plants, species of the cycad genus Encephalartos (Zamiaceae), the gametophyte is protected by a three-layered integument and substantial sporophyll tissues. Adaptation for oviposition into the gametophyte may, therefore, be crucial to this feeding specialization. Ovipositional behaviour and ovipositor structure in four species of Antliarhinus suggest that ovipositional traits suited to ovule predation preceded the evolution of this habit and that ovipositional traits in ancestral species provided the right environment for the evolution of ovule predation. Current ovipositional traits in A. zamiae and A. signatus probably represent responses to changes in cone structure after the evolution of ovule predation.     

Contribution to the weevil fauna (Coleoptera,Curculionoidea) of Turkey

37 species of the weevil families Brentidae, Apionidae, Nanophyidae, Dryophthoridae, Erirhinidae, and Curculionidae are recorded for Turkey or for the Asian part of the country, most of them, for the first time. Some of the species are also newly recorded for other countries.     

New data on the distribution and host plants of weevils (Coleoptera,Curculionoidea: Apionidae,Curculionidae) in the south of Baikal Siberia and in Mongolia

Two weevil species, Rhinoncus autumnalis Korotyaev, 1980 and Orchestes medvedevi (Korotyaev, 1995), comb. n. (from Rhynchaenus), both described from Mongolia, are recorded from Russia (Buryatia) for the first time. A key to five Orchestes species associated with elms in Eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East, and Mongolia is provided. Aizobius sedi (Germar, 1818) is recorded for the first time from Eastern Siberia based on the recent findings in Buryatia and on older collections from Tuva where it is associated with Orostachys spinosa (L.) C.A. Mey. (Crassulaceae); it is also recorded for the first time from Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. Magdalis (Aika) margaritae Barrios, 1984, native of Mongolia, Northern China and the south of the Russian Far East, is recorded from Buryatia. Lixus (Broconius) korotyaevi Ter-Minassian, 1989, formerly known in Russia only from southern Tuva, is recorded from Buryatia where it was collected on Suaeda ?prostrata Pallas, which is the first known host of this species. Rhamphus ?oxyacanthae (Marsham, 1802) is reported from Buryatia where it was collected from Cotoneaster melanocarpa, and from Mongolia.