Bionomics of Several North American Species of Anthonomus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract

Information on the life history, habits, host plants, parasites and taxonomy is presented for 9 species of the weevil genus, Anthonomus. Included are new host records for 5 species and new parasite records for 4 species. The pupal and larval stages of Anthonomus dealbatus Champion and A. heterogenus Dietz are described and illustrated. Anthonomus callirrhoae Pierce is synonymized with Anthonomus squamans Champion (New Synonymy). Information on the life history, habits, hosts and immature stages of various species of the weevil genus Anthonomus Germar has been published by Burke (1968), Ahmad and Burke (1972), and Gates and Burke (1972). We have recently accumulated additional biological data on the following species: ANTHONOMUS DEALBATUS CHAMPION. This weevil was originally described (Champion, 1910) from a single female collected in Guatemala. Except for being listed in a checklist by Blackwelder (1947) and in Coleopterorum Catalogus by Schenkling and Marshall (1934), the species has not been reported in the literature since being described. The present account includes the first report of the species from Mexico, a new host record, and the first descriptions of its larval and pupal stages. Adults were collected on Sida cordifolia L. near Lerdo de Tejada, Veracruz, Mexico in June 1965. These specimens were determined by direct comparison with the Champion type which is deposited in the British Museum (Natural History). On 23 August 1967 adults, larvae and pupae were taken from S. cordifolia at the Lerdo de Tejada locality. Larvae develop in the fruit capsules of this plant and pupation occurs in the larval feeding cavity. 1 Technical article no. 10417. Department of Entomology, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University.