Hadramphus

Hadramphus
Hadramphus pittospori illustrated by Des Helmore
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Curculionidae
Subfamily: Molytinae
Tribe: Molytini
Genus: Hadramphus
Broun, 1911
Species
Synonyms

Karocolens Kuschel, 1987

Hadramphus (synonym: Karocolens[1]), commonly known as knobbled weevils, is a genus of flightless molytine weevils from the family Curculionidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and consists of four species.[2]

The type species Hadramphus spinipennis was designated by Thomas Broun in 1911.[3] Hadramphus pittospori was described by Guillermo Kuschel within the new genus Karocolens in 1987[4] but placed by Robin Craw into the genus Hadramphus in 1999.[1] Hadramphus tuberculatus was described by Francis Polkinghorne Pascoe as Lyperobius tuberculatus in 1877[5] but transferred by Kuschel into the genus Hadramphus in 1971.[6] The fourth species Hadramphus stilbocarpae was described by Kuschel in 1971.[6]

All four species are relatively large with a length ranging from 11.7 to 23 mm. They are predominantly dark brown and characterized by triangular or rounded tubercles on their flanks and on their upperparts.[2] H. pittospori is confined to Poor Knights Islands, H. spinipennis is endemic to the Chatham Islands, H. stilbocarpae lives on Breaksea Island, Fiordland, Resolution Island and Puysegur Point, islands around Stewart Island / Rakiura (Bird Island and Big South Cape Island) and the sub-Antarctic Snares Islands.[2] The rarest of them is Hadramphus tuberculatus. It is endemic to the Burkes Pass Scenic Reserve in the Canterbury Plains and was not seen between 1922 and 2004.[2]

  1. ^ a b Craw, RC (1999): Molytini (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae). Flightless Molytine Weevils. Fauna of New Zealand. No. 39.
  2. ^ a b c d Laura M. Young; John  W. M. Marris; Stephen  M. Pawson: "Back from extinction: rediscovery of the Canterbury knobbled weevil Hadramphus tuberculatus (Pascoe 1877) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), with a review of its historical distribution" In: New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2008, Vol. 35: 323-330. doi:10.1080/03014220809510129 The Royal Society of New Zealand.
  3. ^ Thomas Broun: "Additions of the Coleopterous Fauna of the Chatham Islands (Hadramphus spinipennis nov. gen and spec.)" In: Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. Vol. 43, 1911. p104-106 Online
  4. ^ Kuschel, G. 1987: "The subfamily Molytinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): general notes and descriptions of new taxa from New Zealand and Chile". New Zealand Entomologist, 9:11-29.
  5. ^ F. P. Pascoe (1877): "Descriptions of new genera and species of New Zealand Coleoptera (Part IV)". Annals and Magazine of Natural History (4)19: 140–147
  6. ^ a b Kuschel, G. (1971) "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand". Pacific Insects Monograph 27: 225–259.