The first record of the Azolla frond weevil Stenopelmus rufinasus (Curculionidae: Brachycerinae: Tanysphyrini) in Israel

Authors

  • Ariel-Leib-Leonid Friedman The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. E-mail: laibale@tauex.tau.ac.il https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4389-6858

Keywords:

Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Brachycerinae, Stenopelmus, Salviniaceae, Azolla, ferns, biocontrol, new records, Israel, Middle East, beetles, weevils

Abstract

Collecting of the ground-dwelling weevils in Israel was undertaken by me in 2009–2010 during a survey of Israeli fauna and flora within the framework of the Israel Taxonomy Initiative. During the survey, two females of the semi-aquatic Azolla frond weevil Stenopelmus rufinasus Gyllenhal, 1835 were collected by pitfall trapping. This is the first record of this species in Israel and in the Western Asia. Stenopelmus rufinasus was considered previously a member of Erirhininae, but recently it has been treated as a member of the sister subfamily Brachycerinae in the tribe Tanysphirini, which includes mainly aquatic and semi-aquatic taxa. Stenopelmus rufinasus is a small (1.6–2.0 mm long) stout weevil, with a short reddish rostrum not longer than the pronotum, and geniculate antennae with a 7-segmented flagellum and a distinct club. Its body is covered dorsally by white yellow and brown, and ventrally by white scales. Stenopelmus rufinasus feeds and develops on several species of the fern genus Azolla (Salviniaceae).

 

Cite as: Friedman, A.-L.-L. 2017. The first record of the Azolla frond weevil Stenopelmus rufinasus (Curculionidae: Brachycerinae: Tanysphyrini) in Israel. Israel Journal of Entomology 47: 103–106.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1014777

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B89025AE-08EA-443D-9EB0-5250683F32CB

Dorsal view of Stenopelmus rufinasus.

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Published

2017-10-17

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Short communications

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