''Callosobruchus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

s in the family

Chrysomelidae The beetle family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as leaf beetles, includes over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making it one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous s ...

, the leaf beetles. It is in the subfamily Bruchinae, the bean weevils.Tuda, M., et al. (2006)
Evolutionary diversification of the bean beetle genus ''Callosobruchus'' (Coleoptera: Bruchidae): traits associated with stored-product pest status.
''Molecular Ecology'' 15(12), 3541-51. Many beetles in the genus are well known as economically important

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

that infest stored foodstuffs.

Biology

These beetles specialize on

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

s of the tribe

Phaseoleae The plant tribe (biology), tribe Phaseoleae is one of the subdivisions of the legume subfamily Faboideae, in the unranked Non-protein amino acid-accumulating clade, NPAAA clade. This group includes many of the beans cultivated for human and anima ...

, which includes many types of

bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

s used for food. Host plants include

mung bean The mung bean or green gram (''Vigna radiata'') is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract Green Mung Bean Extract Powder Phaseolus aureus Roxb Vigna radiata L R Wilczek. MDidea-Extracts P ...

(''Vigna radiata''),

adzuki bean ''Vigna angularis'', also known as the , azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean, is an Annual plant, annual vine widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small (approximately long) bean. The cultivars most familiar in East A ...

(''V. angularis''), rice bean (''V. umbellata''),

cowpea The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus '' Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few inpu ...

(''Vigna unguiculata''),

Bambara groundnut ''Vigna subterranea'' (common names: Bambara groundnut, Bambara nut, Bambara bean, manicongo, Congo goober, earth pea, ground-bean, or hog-peanut) is a member of the family Fabaceae. Its name is derived from the Bambara ethnic group. The plan ...

(''V. subterranea''),

pigeon pea The pigeon pea (''Cajanus cajan'') or toor dal is a perennial legume from the family (biology), family Fabaceae native to the Eastern Hemisphere. The pigeon pea is widely cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions around the world, being com ...

(''Cajanus cajan''),

lablab ''Lablab purpureus'' is a species of bean in the family Fabaceae. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa and it is cultivated throughout the tropics for food.common bean ''Phaseolus vulgaris'', the common bean,, is a herbaceous annual plant grown worldwide for its edible dry seeds or green bean, green, unripe pods. Its leaf is also occasionally used as a Leaf vegetable, vegetable and the straw as fodder. Its Pla ...

(''Phaseolus vulgaris''). They can also be found in peas,

lentil The lentil (''Vicia lens'' or ''Lens culinaris'') is an annual plant, annual legume grown for its Lens (geometry), lens-shaped edible seeds or ''pulses'', also called ''lentils''. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in Legume, pods, usually w ...

chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual plant, annual legume of the family (biology), family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, cultivated for its edible seeds. Its different types are variously known as gram," Bengal gram, ga ...

s, and

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), goober pea, pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large ...

s.Tuda, M., et al. (2005)
Ecological factors associated with pest status in ''Callosobruchus'' (Coleoptera: Bruchidae): high host specificity of non-pests to Cajaninae (Fabaceae).
''Journal of Stored Products Research'' 41, 31-45. Most species in the genus are native to Asia. They can be found in warm regions in the

Old World The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...

. They occur in places outside of their native range as

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

. At least 11 species of legumes are natural hosts for these beetles, including wild and domesticated plants. Some are considered pests because they invade stores of legume foods, such as beans and lentils. They lay eggs on the seeds and the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e consume them as they develop. They emerge from the seeds as adults. ''C. maculatus'' in particular is well adapted to living in dry beans and seeds because it does not require food or water to reproduce. It can invade a store of chickpeas and infest 100% of the seeds. ''C. maculatus'' has also been studied in the field of reproductive biology because of the

sexual conflict Sexual conflict or sexual antagonism occurs when the two sexes have conflicting optimal fitness (biology), fitness strategies concerning reproduction, particularly over the mode and frequency of mating, potentially leading to an evolutionary arms ...

that occurs between mating male and female. The genitalia of the male is covered in hard spines that injure the female during copulation, and the female has a habit of kicking the male during the process.Crudgington, H. S. and Siva-Jothy, M. T
Genital damage, kicking and early death.
''Nature'' 407; 19 October 2000.

Species

There are at least 20 species in genus ''Callosobruchus''. Species include: *'' Callosobruchus analis'' *''

Callosobruchus chinensis ''Callosobruchus chinensis'', also known as the adzuki bean weevil, pulse beetle, Chinese bruchid or cowpea bruchid, is a common species of beetle found in the bean weevil subfamily. Although it is commonly known as the "adzuki bean weevil" it i ...

'' *'' Callosobruchus dolichosi'' *'' Callosobruchus imitator'' *''

Callosobruchus latealbus ''Callosobruchus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, the leaf beetles. It is in the subfamily Bruchinae, the bean weevils.Tuda, M., et al. (2006)Evolutionary diversification of the bean beetle genus ''Callosobruchus'' (Coleopter ...

'' *''

Callosobruchus maculatus ''Callosobruchus maculatus'' is a species of beetles known commonly as the cowpea weevil or cowpea seed beetle.Tran, B. M. D. and P. F. Credland. (1995)Consequences of inbreeding for the cowpea seed beetle, ''Callosobruchus maculatus'' (F.) (Cole ...

'' *'' Callosobruchus nigripennis'' *'' Callosobruchus phaseoli'' *'' Callosobruchus pulcher'' *'' Callosobruchus rhodesianus'' *'' Callosobruchus semigriseus'' *'' Callosobruchus subinnotatus'' *'' Callosobruchus theobromae'' *'' Callosobruchus utidai''

Gallery

Callosobruchus analis.jpg, '' Callosobruchus analis'' Callosobruchus maculatus dorsal.jpg, ''

'' Callosobruchus phaseoli.jpg, '' Callosobruchus phaseoli'' Eggs of Callosobruchus maculatus on cowpea and azuki.jpg, ''Callosobruchus'' eggs on beans

References

{{Authority control Chrysomelidae genera Taxa named by Maurice Pic Bruchinae