The Entiminae are a large subfamily in 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 fa ...

family

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. Th ...

, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''

Entimus ''Entimus'' is a genus of broad-nosed weevils belonging to the family true weevil and the Entiminae The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ...

'', ''

Otiorhynchus ''Otiorhynchus'' (sometimes misspelled as ''Otiorrhynchus'') is a large genus of weevils in the family Curculionidae. Many species of the genus, particularly the black vine weevil (''O. sulcatus'') and the strawberry root weevil (''O. ovatus'') ...

'', ''

Phyllobius ''Phyllobius'' is a genus of weevils containing at least 60 described species, some of which are commonly found in Europe. European species * '' Phyllobius achardi'' Desbrochers, 1873 * '' Phyllobius aetolicus'' Apfelbeck, 1901 ** '' Phyll ...

'', ''

Sitona ''Sitona'' is a large genus of weevils in the family Curculionidae native to the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Over 100 species have been described. ''Sitona'' is easily distinguished from related genera by flat, recumbent scales on the mandi ...

'', and '' Pachyrrhynchus''. In comparison with their stunning diversity, only a few of these weevils are notorious pests of major economic importance. Entimines are commonly encountered in the field, including urban environments, and abundant in entomological collections.

Diversity

There are over 12,000 described species in the Entiminae subfamily worldwide, distributed in over 1,370 genera, which total nearly 14,000 by more recent counts. Most tribes are represented in only one biogeographic region of the world. The current classification within the subfamily has been recognized as artificial rather than reflecting natural groups.

General morphology

Besides the shape of their broad and short rostrum, most entimines are easily recognized by the presence of a mandibular scar that appears when a deciduous process falls off the mandible, shortly after the emergence of the adult from the pupal stage.

Ecology

In general, entimines tend to feed on a broad range of plants (

polyphagous Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffixes -vore, -vory, or -vorous from Latin ''vorare'', meaning "to devour", or -phage, -phagy, or -phagous from Greek φαγε ...

), but there are instances of

oligophagy Oligophagy refers to the eating of only a few specific foods, and to monophagy when restricted to a single food source. The term is usually associated with insect dietary behaviour. They also show preference for habitat or substrate rather than plant specificity. Entimine weevils are primarily associated with

angiosperms Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit. T ...

, but there are also species recorded from

gymnosperms The gymnosperms ( ; ) are a group of woody, perennial Seed plant, seed-producing plants, typically lacking the protective outer covering which surrounds the seeds in flowering plants, that include Pinophyta, conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and gnetoph ...

. They feed on monocotyledoneous and a broad range of dicotyledoneous plants, including members of the families

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

Rutaceae The Rutaceae () is a family (biology), family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in Bo ...

Solanaceae Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It contains approximately 2,700 species, several of which are used as agricultural crops, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants. Many me ...

, and many more. The most commonly seen/known species are usually those associated with vegetation, where there is a trend to find more abundance and less diversity in cultivated areas, whereas forested or less disturbed areas tend to have more diversity and less abundance; there is a lot of diversity represented in the soil and on leaf litter, which is often overlooked. The most effective method for collecting entimines from vegetation would be using a beating sheet or by manual collecting; for soil entimines the best method would be leaf litter sifting.

Biology

Entimines may lay eggs loosely on the substrate, or in clusters glued onto the vegetation and do not use their rostrum to prepare their oviposition site. Over 50 species of entimines have been reported as parthenogenetic. The

integument In biology, an integument is the tissue surrounding an organism's body or an organ within, such as skin, a husk, Exoskeleton, shell, germ or Peel (fruit), rind. Etymology The term is derived from ''integumentum'', which is Latin for "a coverin ...

of entimines can be black, reddish, orange and even metallic in coloration. Many species of Entiminae are covered by scales arranged in a broad variety of patterns. Those scales bear three dimensional

photonic crystals A photonic crystal is an optical nanostructure in which the refractive index changes periodically. This affects the propagation of light in the same way that the structure of natural crystals gives rise to X-ray diffraction and that the atomic ...

within their lumen, which makes the scales iridescent. Many species are flightless, which usually can be seen externally: the elytral shoulders (outer anterior corners of the

elytra An elytron (; ; : elytra, ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometime ...

) are reduced to absent in apterous and brachypterous forms and well-developed in species with well-developed wings. Elytral shoulders

Tribes

The current tribal classification of Entiminae follows Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal for the most part, with a few updates by Bouchard et al. The latest tribal addition is the Namaini Borovec & Meregalli. Currently, there are 55 tribes recognized in the subfamily. A key to identify tribes is presented by Legalov. *

Agraphini Agraphini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae endemic to the east coast of the United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. I ...

Alophini The Alophini are a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae. Genera * '' Acmaegenius'' * '' Centron'' * '' Ctenolobus'' * '' Geralophus'' * '' Graptus'' * '' Lepidophorus'' * '' Limalophus'' * '' Plinthodes'' * '' Pseudalophus'' * '' Pseudobary ...

Anomophthalmini The Anomophthalmini comprise a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimus'', ''Otiorhynchus'' ...

Anypotactini The Anypotactini are a Neotropical weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae. It includes 81 described species. Distribution The tribe ranges from south-western USA (Texas) to Argentina and Chile and some Caribbean islands. Most genera are distr ...

Blosyrini The Blosyrini comprise a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae. Genera * ''Blosyrodes'' * ''Blosyrosoma'' * ''Blosyrus'' * ''Bradybamon'' * ''Dactylotus'' * ''Holonychus'' * ''Proscephaladeres'' References * Lacordaire, T. 1863: Histoire ...

Brachyderini The Brachyderini are a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as ''Entimus'', ''Otiorhynchus'', ''Phyl ...

* Celeuthetini * Cneorhinini * Cratopodini * Cylydrorhinini * Cyphicerini * Dermatodini * Ectemnorhinini * Elytrurini * Embrithini *

Entimini Entimini is a Neotropical realm, Neotropical weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae that includes 46 described species. Most members of the tribe can be recognized by their relatively large and robust bodies. A key to identify the genera of Ent ...

* Episomini * Eudiagogini * Eupholini *

Eustylini Eustylini is a primarily Neotropical realm, Neotropical weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae. Taxonomy The tribe Eustylini was named for the first time by Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire in 1863, although, when first named, the tribe (Groupe ...

* Geonemini * Holcorhinini * Hormorini * Laparocerini * Leptostethini * Lordopini * Mesostylini * Myorhinini *

Nastini ''Nastus'' is a genus of broad-nosed weevils in the beetle family Curculionidae. There are more than 30 described species in ''Nastus''. Species These 37 species belong to the genus ''Nastus'': * ''Nastus albinae'' Formánek, 1909 * ''Nastus al ...

* Namaini * Naupactini * Nothognathini * Omiini * Oosomini * Ophryastini * Ophtalmorrhynchini * Otiorhynchini * Ottistirini * Pachyrhynchini *

Peritelini Peritelini is a weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae. Genera '' Afrotroglorrhynchus'' – '' Anchitelus'' – '' Antispyris'' – '' Aparasystates'' – '' Aperitelus'' – '' Apotmetus'' – '' Aragnomus'' – '' Asceparnus'' – '' Asenec ...

* Phyllobiini * Polycatini * Polydrusini * Premnotrypini * Pristorhynchini * Prypnini * Psallidiini * Rhyncogonini * Sciaphilini * Sitonini * Tanymecini * Tanyrhynchini * Thecesternini * Trachyphloeini *

Tropiphorini Tropiphorini is a tribe of weevils in the subfamily Entiminae. Genera '' Achorius'' – '' Adaleres'' – '' Agatholobus'' – '' Amisallus'' – '' Amnemus'' – '' Amphidees'' – '' Anametis'' – '' Baryopadus'' – '' Basedowia'' – '' B ...

* Typhlorhinini

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1932939 Beetle subfamilies

Diversity

General morphology

Ecology

Biology

Tribes

References

Further reading

External links