British Insects: the Families of Coleoptera
British Insects: the Families of Coleoptera |
|
Including Calendridae, Chapuisidae, Cossonidae, Erirhinidae, Ipidae, Rhynchophoridae, etc.
Weevils and Ambrosia Beetles.
General appearance. 1.5–14 mm long. Body length/maximum body width 1.2–5.7. Elytral length/pronotal length 0.9–4.6. Base of prothorax not or scarcely narrower than the combined elytral bases, or distinctly narrower than the combined elytral bases. Greatest prothoracic width not narrower or only slightly narrower than the greatest elytral width, or distinctly narrower than greatest elytral width. Beetles oval to elongate; not necked; conspicuously waisted. Upper surfaces of body glabrous or subglabrous, or non-glabrous; exhibiting stiff, erect, dark bristles, or not bristly; exhibiting scales or scale-like setae, or with neither scales nor scale-like setae.
Detailed morphology. Beetles equipped with a rostrum (see illustration of Pissodes, exemplifying morphological details). Inclination of the head slight to very strong. Eyes strongly protuberant, or not strongly protuberant; without bristles. Antennae short to about half the insect's head to tail length; usually conspicuously elbowed; (1–)11(–12) segmented; with the scape much-elongated. Antennal scape not swollen. Antennae clubbed. Antennal clubs 3 segmented, or 4 segmented. Antennal insertions visible from above, or hidden from above; ‘countersunk’ within saucer-like fossae, or not in fossae. Mandibular prosthecae absent.
Pronotal length/maximum pronotal width 0.42–5.7. Prothorax with notopleural sutures (usually), or without notopleural sutures (?). Metaventrite without a transverse groove. The tarsi exhibiting bilobed segments (usually), or without bilobed segments (rarely); with a tiny penultimate segment hidden by lobing of the one proximal to it (usually), or without ‘hidden’ segments (rarely, then the third segment is not not bilobed and the claw segment is missing). Mid-leg tarsi 4-segmented (rarely), or 5-segmented (usually); pseudotetramerous (nearly always), or tetramerous (rarely, when the third segment lacks the lobes, and the claw segment is missing). Claws of the mid-leg tarsi not appendaged. Front tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi; 4-segmented (usually), or 5-segmented. Hind tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi; 4-segmented, or 5-segmented. Tarsal claws simple, or one-toothed or bifid, or serrate, denticulate or pectinate; with an empodium between them (this with no more than two setae), or without an associated empodium. Elytral length/maximum width across the elytra 0.7–4.2. Elytra exposing no more than part of the terminal tergite to at least one but fewer than three complete abdominal tergites; hard (strongly sclerotized, often clothed with scales). Scutellary striole absent. Wings well developed, or absent or much reduced; fringed with long hairs on the hind margin, or not fringed.
Visible abdominal sternites 5, or 10; immovably joined 0, or 2–3 (usually the first two). Abdominal segment 8 apparently without functional spiracles.
Habitat, ecology. Not predacious; phytophagous (including numerous pests); in living vegetation.
General comments. The largest family in the animal Kingdom. Beetles variable in shape, usually more or less waisted; often clothed with scales.
Larvae. Larvae not predacious; phytophagous; on living vegetation.
Classification. Suborder Polyphaga; Superfamily Curculionoidea.
British representation. Genera 102; 416 species. E.g., Acalles roboris (Oak Achalles Weevil); Anthonomus pomorum (Pear-and-apple Weevil); Mesites tardii (Irish Cossonus Weevil); Diaperis boleti (Orange-spotted Diaperis); Lasiorhynchites ophthalmicus; Lixus angustatus (Narrowed Lixus Weevil, illustrated by Curtis, but probably adventive); Magdalis carbonaria (Long-nosed Magdalis Weevil); Mononychus punctumalbum (Single-clawed Weevil); Notaris aethiops; Phytobius comari (Marsh Cinqfoil Weevil); Hypera dauci (Pretty Hypera); Polydrusus sericeus (Kimpton Weevil); Zacladus geranii.
Illustrations. • Acalles roboris (Curtis): Oak Achalles Weevil; B. Ent. 550. • Acalles roboris (B. Ent. 550, legend+text). • Anthonomus pomorum (Pear-and apple Weevil: B. Ent. 562). • Mesites tardii (Curtis): Irish Cossomus Weevil, B. Ent. 59. • Mesites tardii (Curtis): B. Ent. 59, legend+text. • Mesites tardii (Curtis): B. Ent. 59, text cont.. • Hypera dauci (Pretty Hypera: B. Ent. 116). • text1161.gif<@subject. • Hypera. • dauci:. • B.. • Ent.. • 116,. • legend+text>. • text1162.gif<@subject. • Hypera. • dauci:. • B.. • Ent.. • 116,. • legend+text>. • Magdalis carbonaria (Long-nosed Magdalis Weevil: B. Ent. 212). • Magdalis carbonaria (details, B. Ent. 212). • Magdalis carbonaria: B. Ent. 212, legend+text. • Mononychus punctumalbum (Single-clawed Weevil: bent292). • Phytobius comari (Marsh Cinqfoil Weevil: B. Ent. 558). • Polydrusus sericeus (Kimpton Weevil: B. Ent. 278). • Baris analis, Miarus graminis, Rhynchaenus pratensis (Janson 202, 209, 210). • Rhynchites ophthalmicus: Janson 211, 219, 221. • Mouthparts of Pissodes, compared with a non-rostrate type. A. Pissodes strobi (Curculionidae): ventral view of rostrate head, with details of mouthparts and maxillae. B. Dytiscus marginalis (Dytiscidae): ventral view of head, with mandibles and maxillae dissected out.
To view the illustrations with detailed captions, go to the interactive key. This also offers full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the families of Coleoptera. Version: 18th September 2008. http://delta-intkey.com’.
