Rhynchitidae

Taxobox
name = Rhynchitidae
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Coleoptera
familia = Rhynchitidae

The tooth-nosed snout weevils receive this name due to the teeth on the edges of their mandibles. They are small beetles (1.5 to 6.5 mm) that are usually found on low vegetation.

The rhynchitids are sometimes treated as a subfamily (Rhynchitinae) within the family Attelabidae, but are treated as a separate family by other authorities.

A common member of this group is the rose curculio, "Merhynchites bicolor", which feeds on roses.

A number of species from Rhynchitidae are recorded from Britain.

The thief weevil, "Pterocolus ovatus", is the only pterocoline (subfamily Pterocolinae) known from North America. It is an obligate egg predator and nidus kleptoparasite (nest thief) of some beetles in the family Attelabidae.

References

*Triplehorn CA, Johnson NF. 2005. Borror and Delong's Introduction to the Study of Insects. 7th Edition. ISBN 0-03-096835-6

*Hall DW, Buss LJ. (2007). Thief weevil, "Pterocolus ovatus" Fabricius. Featured Creatures. EENY-420.

External links

* [http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/beetles/H_analis_P_ovatus.htm "Pterocolus ovatus", thief weevil] on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site