Polytus mellerborgi

Polytus mellerborgi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Phytophaga
Superfamily:	Curculionoidea
Family:	Curculionidae
Genus:	Polytus
Species:	P. mellerborgi
Binomial name
Polytus mellerborgi (Boheman, 1838)
Synonyms
Polytus mellerborgiHeller, K.M., 1927

Polytus mellerborgi, commonly known as small banana weevil, is a species of weevil widely distributed in southeastern Polynesia through Melanesia, Micronesia, Indo-Malaya, South China, Myanmar (formerly Burma), India, Sri Lanka, other islands of the Indian Ocean to Madagascar and as far as Mexico and Central America. ^{[1] [2]}

Description

This small beetle is about 1.0 cm to 1.1 cm in length excluding the rostrum. ^[3] Due to the characteristic black color, the species can be misidentified as a diminutive form of Cosmopolites sordidus . ^[4] Antennae composed of eight antennomeres, a scape, pedicel and flagellum composed of six flagellomeres. The last flagellomere is the antennal club. Both flagellum and antennal club composed of most sensilla. According to research, there are five types of sensilla: sensilla trichodea, sensilla chaetica type 1 and 2, sensilla basiconica, and sensilla gemmiformia; and cuticular grooves found in the species. ^[5]

Biology

It is one of the most common pests that attack banana and plantain plants. Adults are found in numbers in decaying trunks and bores in the decaying corms and stalks of banana. ^{[5] [6]}

References

1. "The Rhynchophorinae Found in Hawaii (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)" (PDF). manoa.hawaii.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
2. "Krishikosh: Management of banana pseudostem weevil, Odoiporus longicollis (Olivier), using safe chemicals and bio-rational methods". krishikosh.egranth.ac.in. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
3. Okolle, Justin N.; Mboueda, Ghislain K. (2016-11-16). "Distribution of three weevil species in the various growth stages and residues of plantains (Musaspp) in Littoral Region of Cameroon". Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences. 13 (1–2): 3–11. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
4. "Rhynchophorinae of Southeastern Polynesia (Coleoptera : Curculionidae)" (PDF). Pacific Insects 10 (1): 47-77 10 May 1968. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
5. "Antennal Sensilla in the Small Banana Weevil Polytus mellerborgi Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)" (PDF). Pakistan J. Zool. 48 (2): 527–531. 2016. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
6. Mollot, Gregory; Duyck, Pierre-François; Lefeuvre, Pierre; Lescourret, Françoise; Martin, Jean-François; Piry, Sylvain; Canard, Elsa; Tixier, Philippe (2014-04-02). Luthe, Dawn Sywassink (ed.). "Cover Cropping Alters the Diet of Arthropods in a Banana Plantation: A Metabarcoding Approach". PLOS ONE. 9 (4): e93740. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...993740M. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093740 . PMC   3973587 . PMID   24695585.