Attelabidae

Attelabidae
Cycnotrachelus longicollis in India
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Clade: Phytophaga
Superfamily: Curculionoidea
Family: Attelabidae
Billberg, 1820
Subfamilies

Apoderinae[1]
Attelabinae - leaf-rolling weevils
Euscelinae
Hybolabinae
Pilolabinae
Pterocolinae
but see text

The Attelabidae is a widespread family of weevils.[2] They are among the primitive weevils, because of their straight antennae, which are inserted near the base of the rostrum. The prothorax is much narrower than the base of the elytra on the abdomen. Attelabidae and the related family Rhynchitidae are known commonly as the leaf-rolling weevils.[3] Rhynchitidae may be treated as subfamily Rhynchitinae of the Attelabidae.

Some members of this family have long necks and may be called giraffe weevils, particularly Trachelophorus giraffa. A few species are minor agricultural pests. The larvae of Rhynchitinae feed in flower buds, fruits, and terminal shoots, or are leaf miners. The subfamily Attelabinae are the true leaf rollers. The female cuts slits into leaves to deposit her eggs, and rolls that part of the leaf in which the larvae will feed.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bouchard2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Riedel, A. (2014). 3.4 Attelabidae Billberg, 1820. In: Leschen R.A.B. & Beutel, R.G. (Eds) Handbook of Zoology, Coleoptera, Beetles Volume 3: Morphology and Systematics (Phytophaga). DeGruyter, Berlin, pp. 328–355.
  3. ^ Legalov, A. A. (2004). New data of the leaf-rolling weevils (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae, Attelabidae) of the world fauna with description of 35 new taxons. Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 4(1) 63-88.