Caridae is a small
Gondwanan
Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stage ...
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 ...
of
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, ...
s. They are considered part of the primitive weevil group, because they have straight rather than geniculate (elbowed)
antennae. The insertion of the antennae on the rostrum cannot be seen from above. Caridae also lack spiracles on abdominal tergites 6 and 7. The prothorax lacks lateral carinae. It has been suggested that the fossil weevil ''Eccoptarthrus'' belongs in this family, which would result in a change in the family name (as "Eccoptarthridae" would have seniority); this proposal has been rejected by most coleopterists (e.g.
[Kuschel, G. 2003. Nemonychidae, Belidae, Brentidae (Insecta : Coleoptera: Curculionoidea). Fauna of New Zealand 45, 100 pages. ])
They are usually found on trees from the
Cupressaceae. The genus, ''
Car'', has been found on ''
Callitris'', and ''
Caenominurus'' on ''
Austrocedrus'' and ''
Pilgerodendron
''Pilgerodendron'' is a genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family Cupressaceae. It has only one species, ''Pilgerodendron uviferum'', which is endemic to the Valdivian temperate rain forests and Magellanic subpolar forests of southern ...
''.
References
Weevils
Beetle families
{{Weevil-stub