Search Results (10)

The southern African species of the genus Rhamphus Clairville, 1798, is herein revised for the first time. Fourteen species are recognized, 13 of which are new to science. The single known species was Rhamphus namibicus Korotyaev, 1994 (Namibia), whereas the new species are R. carinatus sp. nov. (South Africa: Limpopo; Zimbabwe), R. densepunctatus sp. nov. (South Africa: Western Cape), R. gigas sp. nov. (Zambia), R. glaber sp. nov. (South Africa: Mpumalanga), R. globipennis sp. nov. (South Africa: Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape), R. hispidulus sp. nov. (South Africa: Eastern Cape), R. indifferens sp. nov. (South Africa: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape), R. levipennis sp. nov. (South Africa: Mpumalanga; Zimbabwe), R. longitarsis sp. nov. (Southern Namibia; South Africa: Northern Cape), R. obesulus sp. nov. (South Africa: Eastern Cape), R. pilosulus sp. nov. (South Africa: Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal; Zimbabwe), R. scaber sp. nov. (South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape), R. squamidorsum sp. nov. (South Africa: Eastern Cape, Western Cape). Based on morphological characters, the species are separated into four informal groups. In considering possible relationships between these species and those from other regions, host-plant associations are also discussed. Full article

The genus Hypoglyptus Gerstaecker, 1855 is herein revised for the first time. Based on adult morphological characters, five species are recognized as valid: Hypoglyptus conspersus (Leonhard, 1912) (Greece), H. elegans (Brullé, 1832) (Greece, Albania), H. gracilis Kiesenwetter, 1864 (Greece), H. graecus (Pic, 1902) (Greece), H. heydeni Faust, 1889 (Greece, Syria, Turkey). For this last species a lectotype is designated. Hypoglyptus pictus Gerstaecker, 1855 is proposed as n. syn. of H. elegans (Brullé, 1832). Male and female genitalia have been examined and are illustrated for the first time. The five species are very similar to and separable from each other by a few subtle differences in the shape, the sculpture, and the vestiture of the pronotum and elytra and in the more or less toothed femora. On the basis of morphological characters, the genus Hypoglyptus, previously incertae sedis in Curculionidae, is here tentatively placed in the tribe Smicronychini of the subfamily Curculioninae. Full article

Ligustrum spp. (Oleaceae) have become invasive species in the US and negatively affect native plant diversity and richness in forests. Ochyromera ligustri (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is considered a potential biological control agent in the US because adults feed on the foliage and larvae are seed-feeders of Ligustrum spp. To discover the relationships between O. ligustri and Ligustrum spp., fruit dissections or rearing and field observations are required. In the current research project, novel PCR primers were developed to rapidly detect the DNA of O. ligustri in molecular analyses without rearing and observation. The developed PCR primers worked even with 0.01 ng of DNA and did not amplify the DNA of the other five curculionid species tested. When the novel primers were tested with three Ligustrum spp. species common in the southeastern US, the DNA of O. ligustri was detected from all three species. We expect that the novel primers will be utilized to find out the presence and impact of O. ligustri on Ligustrum spp rapidly and accurately. Full article

Oriental species of the genus Cionus are herein revised for the first time. Eight species are recognized as distinct based on morphological characters of adults. One species is described as new: C. ottomerkli sp. nov., from India, whereas the name vossi (nom. nov.) is proposed for Cionus flavoguttatus Voss, 1957 (not Stierlin, 1893). The following new synonymy is established: Cionus indicus Desbrochers des Loges, 1890 (=Cionus albosparsus Faust, 1898 syn. nov.). Lectotypes of Cionus albosparsus Faust, 1898; Cionus flavoguttatus Voss, 1957; Cionus indicus Desbrochers des Loges, 1890; Cionus obesus Pascoe, 1883; and Cionus tonkinensis Wingelmüller, 1915, are designated. Full article

The arrival and establishment of adventive, invasive forest insects are a threat to the health, diversity, and productivity of forests in Canada and the world at large, and their early detection is essential for successful eradication and management. For that reason, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) conducts annual surveys at high risk sites such as international ports and freight terminals, industrial zones, and disposal sites for solid wood packaging material using two methods: (1) semiochemical-baited traps deployed in a total of about 63–80 sites per year in British Columbia (BC), Ontario (ON), Quebec (QC), New Brunswick (NB), Nova Scotia (NS), and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL); and (2) rearing of insects from bolts collected from stressed trees and incubated in modified shipping containers in four cities (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax). We report 31 new Canadian provincial records of Coleoptera from surveys conducted in 2011–2021, including 13 new records for Canada and 9 species adventive to North America (indicated by †). Nine of the new Canadian records were native North American species previously detected only south of the border. All but three species belong to the Curculionidae family and most of these were in the subfamily Scolytinae. The records include: Xenomelanophila miranda (LeConte) (Canada, BC) (Buprestidae: Buprestinae); Neoclytus mucronatus mucronatus (Fabricius) (BC) (Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae); Amphicerus cornutus (Pallas) (Canada, BC) (Bostrichidae: Bostrichinae); Mecinus janthinus (Germar)† (ON) (Curculionidae: Curculioninae); Aulacobaris lepidii (Germar)† (Canada, ON); Buchananius striatus (LeConte) (ON) (Curculionidae: Baridinae); Cylindrocopturus binotatus LeConte (Canada, ON) (Curculionidae: Conoderinae); Himatium errans LeConte (ON); Phloeophagus canadensis Van Dyke (ON); Rhyncolus spretus Casey (Canada, BC); Stenomimus pallidus (Boheman) (Canada, ON); Tomolips quercicola (Boheman) (Canada, ON) (Curculionidae: Cossoninae); Strophosoma melanogrammum (Forster)† (NB) (Curculionidae: Entiminae); Conotrachelus aratus (Germar) (ON) (Curculionidae: Molytinae); Anisandrus maiche Stark† (Canada, ON, QC); Cnesinus strigicollis LeConte (Canada, ON); Cyclorhipidion pelliculosum (Eichhoff)† (Canada, ON, QC); Hylesinus fasciatus LeConte (QC); Hylesinus pruinosus Eichhoff (QC); Hypothenemus interstitialis (Hopkins) (Canada, ON); Lymantor alaskanus Wood (BC); Pityogenes bidentatus (Herbst)† (Canada, ON); Scolytus mali (Bechstein)† (BC); Scolytus schevyrewi Semenov† (QC); Trypodendron scabricollis (LeConte) (Canada, ON); Trypophloeus populi Hopkins (QC); Xylechinus americanus Blackman (NFLB); and Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky)† (BC, QC) (Curculionidae: Scolytinae). We also provide additional data confirming the presence of the adventive Hylastes opacus Erichson† in NS. Rearing of insects from bolts accounted for two new records (H. pruinosus, R. spretus) and trapping accounted for the remainder. These surveys not only assist our efforts to manage forest insects by documenting new species introductions and apparent range expansions but also increase our knowledge of biodiversity. Full article

Anchonocranus oleae Marshall (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a seed-feeding weevil native to southern Africa; its larvae are known to develop in the fruits of the African Wild Olive and, more rarely, cultivated olives. The species has been mainly found in the Western Cape province of South Africa, but it has remained in relative obscurity because it does not seem to represent a current threat to commercial olive production. As part of an ongoing effort to produce baseline genetic data for olive-associated entomofauna in South Africa, we generated reference DNA barcodes for A. oleae collected from wild and cultivated olives and sequenced its mitogenome for assessment of the phylogenetic position of the species in the family Curculionidae. The mitochondrial phylogeny estimate indicated that A. oleae shares a common ancestor with Elaidobius (tribe Derelomini), but a definite and close relationship to this tribe and the precise tribal placement of A. oleae in the subfamily Curculioninae could not be inferred due to the lack of representative mitogenomes of other relevant curculionine tribes and genera. This study will assist future work on the DNA-based species identification, genetic diversity, and phylogenetic position of the genus Anchonocranus and related taxa. Full article

The male reproductive system, sperm structure, and spermatogenesis of Trypophloeusklimeschi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), which is one of the most destructive pests of Populus alba var. pyramidalis (Bunge), were investigated using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The male reproductive system of T.klimeschi is composed of testes, seminal vesicles, tubular accessory glands, multilobulated accessory glands, vasa deferentia, and a common ejaculatory duct. In spermatogenesis, two phenomena are apparent: The nuclear chromatin condenses into two different patterns, and an oval preacrosomal vesicle is present at the flank of the Golgi apparatus. The sperm are short, measuring 76.7 ± 1.8 μm in length, and are 508.1 ± 12.9 nm in width. The sperm are composed of a three-layer acrosomal complex, a cylindrical nucleus, two mitochondrial derivatives, a 9 + 9 + 2 axoneme, and two accessory bodies with a large “puff”-like expansion. Mature sperm are individually stored in seminal vesicles. During spermiogenesis, the similarities in the nuclear chromatin condensation characteristics of Curculioninae and Scolytinae are indicative of their close phylogenetic relationship. It appears that the preacrosomal vesicle being flanked by the Golgi apparatus is a characteristic of spermatogenesis in Curculionidae. Full article

Kuschelysius new genus is described for four species, K. hollowayae new species, K. durus new species, K. verbalis new species and K. nitens new species, which are found in alpine regions along the length of the South Island of New Zealand. The genus most closely resembles members of the genus Eugnomus but is distinguished from them by the presence of a small pair of post-ocular tubercles and by having appressed scales on the dorsal surfaces. Some members of Kuschelysius appear to be flight-capable with well-developed hindwings, while others have reduced hindwings and are presumably flightless. Many specimens have been collected from the flowers of Dracophyllum traversii, Celmisia and other alpine plants, and the guts of examined specimens contained pollen. We hypothesise that the species of Kuschelysius are pollinators of the New Zealand alpine flora. Full article

This paper presents the results of a study that was largely initiated to describe a genus and species of weevil damaging macadamia fruits in plantations in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. This taxon is described as Kuschelorhynchus macadamiae gen. et sp. n., the genus named in honour of the late Guillermo (Willy) Kuschel (1918–2017). The related genus Menechirus Hartmann is also revised, resulting in the description of three new species, M. howdenae sp. n., M. parryi sp. n. and M. mundus sp. n. The other genera of the small Australian weevil tribe Cryptoplini, Cryptoplus Erichson, Haplonyx Schoenherr, Sigastus Pascoe and Zeopus Pascoe, are diagnosed and their host associations summarised, and a revised diagnosis of the tribe Cryptoplini is presented, together with a key to its six genera. The extraordinary aedeagus of Cryptoplini, featuring a tectal plate as is characteristic of more primitive weevils, is discussed and illustrated. Full article

Based on intrinsic morphological and extrinsic bionomic characters, the systematic position of the weevil tribe Acentrusini Alonso-Zarazaga, 2005 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae) was determined. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference as well as nonmetric multi-dimensional scaling were used to analyze 34 morphological characters of adults, complemented by four host plant characters associated with particular weevil tribes. Sixteen species belonging to two subfamilies (Brachycerinae, Curculionidae) and seven tribes (Acentrusini, Anthonomini, Ellescini, Erirhinini, Smicronychini, Storeini, Styphlini) of the family Curculionidae and one outgroup species (Attelabidae) were studied. Phylogenetic and multi-dimensional analyses revealed the tribe Smicronychini as most closely related to Acentrusini. Of the tribes of Curculioninae studied, Styphlini, Anthonomini and Ellescini showed a certain degree of phylogenetic relation to Acentrusini, whereas Storeini were found to be least related. Full article