The

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

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 ...

Curculioninae is part of the

weevil Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Curculionidae The Curculionidae are a family of weevils, commonly called snout beetles or true weevils. They are one of the largest animal families, with 6,800 genera and 83,000 species described worldwide. They are the sister group to the family Brentidae. ...

. It contains over 23,500 described

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 ...

in 2,200

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

, and is therefore the largest weevil subfamily. Given that the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

(Coleoptera) contains about one-quarter of all known

organism In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells ( cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and fu ...

s, the Curculioninae represent one of the – if not ''the'' – most successful radiations of terrestrial

Metazoa Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage in ...

. Many weevils of this group are commonly known as flower weevils or acorn and nut weevils, after a food commonly eaten by Curculioninae

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e and imagines — the

reproductive organ A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, ...

s of

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae excl ...

Systematics

This large

is divided into around 30

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. Delimitation of the Curculioninae is fairly robust considering its enormous size; there is some dispute, however, in their exact boundary with the

Molytinae Molytinae is a subfamily of weevils described by Carl Johan Schönherr in 1823. Molytinae includes the following tribes: * Amalactini * Aminyopini * Amorphocerini * Anchonini * Cholini * Cleogonini * Conotrachelini * Cycloterini * Dino ...

. The Phrynixini and Trypetidini are also included in the Curculioninae by some authors, but more often they are considered Molytinae; conversely, the Itini are usually placed in the Curculioninae but sometimes in the Molytinae, which are also expanded by certain authors to include, among others, the whole Cryptorhynchinae. These, as well as the Ceutorhynchinae, are sometimes included in the Curculioninae as additional tribes Cryptorhynchini and Ceutorhynchini. And some genera while almost certainly Curculioninae, are too unusual and/or ancient to be easily assigned to a specific tribe. Features used to distinguish some of the tribes are:

List of tribes

The subfamily Curculioninae consists of the following

s:
Some notable genera are also listed. * Acalyptini Thomson, 1859 ** '' Acalyptus'' ** '' Anchylorhynchus'' * AcentriniSeidlitz, 1890 * Acentrusini Alonso-Zarazaga, 2005 * Ancylocnemidini Voss, 1962 * Anoplini Bedel, 1884 * Anthonomini Thomson, 1859 ** '' Anthonomus'' ** '' Brachonyx'' * Camarotini Schönherr, 1833 * Ceratopodini Lacordaire, 1863 * Cionini Schönherr, 1825 ** '' Cionus'' * Cranopoeini Kuschel, 2009 * Cryptoplini Lacordaire, 1863 * Curculionini Latreille, 1802 ** '' Curculio'' * Derelomini Lacordaire, 1865 * Diabathrariini Lacordaire, 1863 * Ellescini Thomson, 1859 ** '' Dorytomus'' ** '' Ellescus'' * Erodiscini Lacordaire, 1863 * Eugnomini Lacordaire, 1863 ** '' Meriphus'' ** '' Pactolotypus'' * Geochini Zimmerman, 1994 * Gonipterini Lacordaire, 1863 ** '' Gonipterus'' * Itini Reitter, 1913 * Mecinini Gistel, 1848 ** '' Mecinus'' ** '' Rhinusa'' * Neosharpiini Hoffmann, 1956 * Nerthopini Lacordaire, 1865 * Otidocephalini Lacordaire, 1863 * Piazorhinini Lacordaire, 1863 * Prionobrachiini Hustache, 1938 * Pyropini Lacordaire, 1865 * Rhamphini Rafinesque, 1815 ** '' Rhynchaenus'' * Smicronychini Seidlitz, 1891 * Sphaeriopoeini Kuschel, 2003 * Storeini Lacordaire, 1863 ** '' Glaucopela'' ** '' Peristoreus'' * Styphlini Jekel, 1861 ** '' Pseudostyphlus'' * Tychiini Gistel, 1848 ** '' Lignyodes'' ** '' Tychius'' * Ulomascini Lacordaire, 1865 ** '' Misophrice'' * Viticiini Morimoto, 1983

Systematics

List of tribes

See also

Footnotes

References

External links