| Acanthoscelides | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Acanthoscelides obtectus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Subfamily: | Bruchinae |
| Tribe: | Bruchini |
| Genus: | Acanthoscelides Schilsky, 1905 |
| Species | |
300+, see text | |
Acanthoscelides is a genus of bean weevils of the subfamily Bruchinae. They are native to the New World. About one third of them can be found in Mexico. [1]
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In 1946 this genus was populated with at least 322 species transferred from other genera, mainly Bruchus . Some of these were later placed into other genera. [2] Estimates of the current number of named species range from about 300 [3] to 340, [1] and there are over 200 undescribed species. [1]
These beetles are generally 1.1 to 3.5 millimeters long. They have large, protruding eyes, and males often have larger eyes than females. They sometimes also have longer antennae. [2] The elytra are about twice as long as they are wide. [1] The beetles of this genus are diverse and the characters used to classify them are not well defined; [2] historically, Acanthoscelides is a wastebasket taxon, "used as a genus into which species are placed that do not fit within the limits of other genera". [1]
Most of these beetles feed on legumes. The majority specialize on Faboideae, many on Mimosoideae, and fewer on Caesalpinioideae. Some are known from non-legume host plants, such as mallows. [3]
Familiar species include Acanthoscelides obtectus, a worldwide pest of beans, [4] and Acanthoscelides macrophthalmus, which is employed as an agent of biological pest control against the invasive tree Leucaena leucocephala . [5]
