| Rhinoncomimus latipes | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Curculionidae |
| Genus: | Rhinoncomimus |
| Species: | R. latipes |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhinoncomimus latipes Korotyaev | |
Rhinoncomimus latipes, the mile-a-minute weevil, is a species of weevil in the family of beetles known as Curculionidae. [1] [2]
Rhinoncomimus latipes is highly co-evolved with its host plant ( Persicaria perfoliata or Polygonum perfoliatum), commonly known as mile-a-minute or Asiatic tearthumb, and has only been found to successfully reproduce on mile-a-minute. [3] Adults overwinter in leaf litter and emerge early in spring to feed on leaves and mate. [4] Female R. latipes lay eggs preferentially on the compact flowering head of the plant, a tender location that allows larvae to easily bore into the stem. After 3-5 days, larvae emerge and bore into the stem to feed and develop. Stem boring and internal feeding by larvae significantly reduces the growth and reproductive ability of P. perfoliata. [5] Fully grown larvae drop into the soil to pupate and emerge as adults by climbing up nearby stems, approximately one month after egg laying. Three to four overlapping generations can occur during a growing season.
Originally from Asia, Rhinoncomimus latipes was intentionally introduced in North America in 2004 to control mile-a-minute, which is invasive in several Northeast US states. [6] Rhinoncomimus latipes has been effective thus far at controlling mile-a-minute populations where it has been released, strongly preferring mile-a-minute as a host to nontarget native plants, but travels slowly. R. latipes has a dispersal rate of approximately 4.3 km/yr from release points. [7] R. latipes has been released by hand and aerially from UAs in "bug pods" in hard-to-access locations. [8]
The Curculionidae are a family of weevils, commonly called snout beetles or true weevils. They are one of the largest animal families with 6,800 genera and 83,000 species described worldwide. They are the sister group to the family Brentidae.
Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small – less than 6 mm in length – and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, with most of them in the family Curculionidae. It also includes bark beetles, which while morphologically dissimilar to other weevils in lacking the distinctive snout, is a subfamily of Curculionidae. Some other beetles, although not closely related, bear the name "weevil", such as the biscuit weevil, which belongs to the family Ptinidae.
Persicaria perfoliata is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family. Common names include mile-a-minute, devil's tail, giant climbing tearthumb, and Asiatic tearthumb. It is a trailing herbaceous annual vine with barbed stems and triangular leaves. It is native to most of temperate and tropical eastern Asia, occurring from eastern Russia and Japan in the north, and the range extending to the Philippines and India in the south.
Polygonum is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plants in the buckwheat and knotweed family Polygonaceae. Common names include knotweed and knotgrass. In the Middle English glossary of herbs Alphita, it was known as ars-smerte. There have been various opinions about how broadly the genus should be defined. For example, buckwheat has sometimes been included in the genus as Polygonum fagopyrum. Former genera such as Polygonella have been subsumed into Polygonum; other genera have been split off.
The Entiminae are a large subfamily in the weevil family Curculionidae, containing most of the short-nosed weevils, including such genera as Entimus, Otiorhynchus, Phyllobius, Sitona, and Pachyrrhynchus. In comparison with their stunning diversity, only a few of these weevils are notorious pests of major economic importance. Entimines are commonly encountered in the field, including urban environments, and abundant in entomological collections.
Hylobius transversovittatus is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is native to the Old World where both adults and larvae feed on purple loosestrife. This plant is regarded as an invasive species in North America and the weevil has been introduced into both the United States and Canada in an effort to control the plant.
Anagotus stephenensis, commonly known as the ngaio weevil, is a large flightless weevil that is only found on Stephens Island in New Zealand. The ngaio weevil was discovered in 1916 by A.C. O'Connor on Stephens Island. Thomas Broun described it in 1921 as Phaeophanus oconnori after its collector. The weevils were observed at the time to be 'feeding on tall fescue and the leaves of trees'.
Curculio elephas is a species of beetle in the family Curculionidae, the true weevils. It is known commonly as the chestnut weevil. It is a serious pest of chestnut in Europe.
Trichobaris trinotata, commonly known as the "Potato stalk borer", is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America where it is a pest of potato plants, the larvae tunnelling inside their stems.
Otiorhynchus meridionalis, the lilac root weevil, is a species of broad-nosed weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America. Lilac root weevils are shiny, brownish-black beetles, about 0.25 inches (0.6 cm) with long snout (rostrum) and geniculate (elbowed) antennae. They are common landscape pests, feeding on lilac, euonymous and peonies.
Naupactus leucoloma is a species of broad-nosed weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae.
Rhinoncomimus is a genus of minute seed weevils in the family of beetles known as Curculionidae. There are about eight described species in Rhinoncomimus.
Curculio sayi, the small or lesser chestnut weevil, is a species of true weevil in the family of beetles known as Curculionidae.
Bagous restrictus is a species of true weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America. The non-native invasive species Hydrilla is the only known host plant for this beetle, with larvae feeding on and developing within Hydrilla stems.
Listronotus oregonensis, the carrot weevil, is a species of weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America.
Cylindrocopturus adspersus, the sunflower stem weevil, is a species of true weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America, where the larvae tunnel in the stems of wild and cultivated sunflower plants.
Conotrachelus retentus, the black walnut curculio, is a species of true weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America. Larvae feed on the developing walnut, while adults feed on foliage. Adult weevils rarely leave the tree they were born on.
Eucryptorrhynchus brandti, the snout weevil, is an insect in the weevil family. In its native range in China, it causes significant damage to its single host, Ailanthus altissima, tree of heaven. Thus the weevil is under study as a biological control of tree of heaven in regions where the tree is non-native. In particular, the insect acts as a vector for Verticillium nonalfalfae, a soilborne fungus that causes verticillium wilt.
Odoiporus longicollis, commonly known as banana stem weevil or banana pseudostem borer, is a species of weevil found in South Asia and South East Asia.
Sphenophorus brunnipennis is a beetle in the Dryophthoridae family.
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