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Bean weevil

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bean weevils
Temporal range: Cenomanian–Recent
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Chrysomelidae
Subfamily: Bruchinae
Latreille, 1802[1]
Tribes and subtribes[3]
Diversity[4]
About 1,650 species in 70 genera
Synonyms

Lariidae Bedel, 1901

Damage to beans by larvae of the common bean weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus

The bean weevils or seed beetles are a subfamily (Bruchinae) of beetles, now placed in the family Chrysomelidae, though they have historically been treated as a separate family. They are granivores, and typically infest various kinds of seeds or beans, living most of their lives inside a single seed. The subfamily includes about 1,650 species and are found worldwide.

Bean weevils are generally compact and oval in shape, with small heads somewhat bent under. Sizes range from 1 to 22 mm for some tropical species. Colors are usually black or brown, often with mottled patterns. Although their mandibles may be elongated, they do not have the long snouts characteristic of true weevils.

Adults deposit eggs on seeds, then the larvae chew their way into the seed. When ready to pupate, the larvae typically cut an exit hole, then return to their feeding chamber. Adult weevils have a habit of feigning death and dropping from a plant when disturbed.

Host plants tend to be legumes, but species will also be found in Convolvulaceae, Arecaceae, and Malvaceae, and several species are considered pests.

One characteristic of the beetles which can be seen in the photo is that the elytra are short, not quite reaching the tip of the abdomen.

Several species are native to Great Britain, but there are also records of several introduced species from stored products in warehouses and dwellings, although these species cannot proliferate outside of heated buildings in that climate.

Genera

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This list of genera uses the new classification, treating the bean weevils as a subfamily with six extant tribes, eight or nine subtribes, and one extinct tribe. The former names and ranks for the tribes and subtribes under the old classification, treating the been weevils as a family, are given in parentheses (except for Myanmaropini, which was established only for the new classification).[5][6]

Notes

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  1. ^ This subtribe is sometimes combined with Acanthoscelidina.

References

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  1. ^ "Bruchinae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  2. ^ a b Legalov, Andrei A.; Kirejtshuk, Alexander G.; Anokhin, Boris A. (March 2020). "The oldest seed beetle (Coleoptera; Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) from Upper Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar with description of new tribe, genus and species". Cretaceous Research. 107: 104283. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104283. S2CID 210632430.
  3. ^ Bouchard, Patrice; Bousquet, Yves; Davies, Anthony E.; Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A.; Lawrence, John F.; Lyal, Chris H. C.; Newton, Alfred F.; Reid, Chris A. M.; Schmitt, Michael; Ślipiński, S. Adam; Smith, Andrew B. T. (2011). "Family-group names in Coleoptera (Insecta)". ZooKeys (88): 1–972. doi:10.3897/zookeys.88.807. PMC 3088472. PMID 21594053.
  4. ^ Morse, Geoffrey (2014). "2.7.1 Bruchinae Latreille, 1802". In Leschen, R.A.B.; Beutel, R.G. (eds.). Handbook of Zoology. Arthropoda: Insecta: Coleoptera: Volume 3: Morphology and Systematics (Phytophaga). Berlin - Boston: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 189–198. doi:10.1515/9783110274462.189. ISBN 978-3-11-027370-0.
  5. ^ "Species Information". BRUCHBASE. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Coleoptera: Bruchidae". Coleoptera.org. Archived from the original on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
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