''Sitona'' is a large

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 ...

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 ...

s in the 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 ...

native to the

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America ...

and

Palaearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...

regions. Over 100 species have been described. ''Sitona'' is easily distinguished from related genera by flat, recumbent scales on the

mandibles In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla). The jawbone i ...

, by the absence of an oval scar on the mandibles, by short and broad

rostrum Rostrum may refer to: * Any kind of a platform for a speaker: **dais **pulpit ** podium * Rostrum (anatomy), a beak, or anatomical structure resembling a beak, as in the mouthparts of many sucking insects * Rostrum (ship), a form of bow on naval ...

with a deep, longitudinal, median groove, and by dense scales on the body.Donald E. Bright, Patrice Bouchard. ''The Insects and Arachnids of Canada'', Part 25: ''Coleoptera. Curculionidae. Entiminae. Weevils of Canada and Alaska''. Vol. 2. Ottawa, NRC Research Press, 2008. . P. 178-203. ''Sitona'' 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, plants of the family

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

. The larvae eat the

root nodule Root nodules are found on the roots of plants, primarily legumes, that form a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, capable plants form a symbiotic relationship with a host-specific strain of bacteria known ...

sKorortyaev, B. A. and A. J. Velázquez de Castro González. (2011)
A new species of the weevil genus ''Sitona'' Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Mt. Hermon in Israel.
''Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS'' 315(1) 85-88. and the adults eat the leaves. Several species of ''Sitona'' are important

agricultural pest A pest is any organism harmful to humans or human concerns. The term is particularly used for creatures that damage crops, livestock, and forestry or cause a nuisance to people, especially in their homes. Humans have modified the environment fo ...

s of legumes, especially in its native regions and introduced populations in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Species include: *'' Sitona aliceae''Velázquez de Castro, A. J., et al. (2011)
Sitonini (Curculionidae: Entiminae) of Israel.
''Israel Journal of Entomology'' 40 71-108. *'' Sitona aquilonius'' *'' Sitona bicolor'' *'' Sitona brucki'' *'' Sitona californius'' *'' Sitona concavirostris'' *'' Sitona crinitus'' *'' Sitona cylindricollis'' *'' Sitona demoflysi'' *'' Sitona desertus'' *'' Sitona discoideus'' Gyllenhal *'' Sitona fairmairei'' Allard, 1869 *'' Sitona flavescens'' *'' Sitona fronto'' *'' Sitona hispidulus'' *'' Sitona lepidus'' Gyllenhal – clover root weevil *'' Sitona lineatus'' – pea leaf weevil *'' Sitona lineellus'' *'' Sitona maroccanus'' *'' Sitona planifrons'' *''

Sitona puncticollis ''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 ...

'' *'' Sitona sulcifrons'' *'' Sitona syriacus'' *'' Sitona tanneri'' *'' Sitona vittatus'' *'' Sitona volkovitshi'' *'' Sitona wahrmani''

References

Entiminae Curculionidae genera {{Entiminae-stub