Attelabidae

Definition

A family of primitive weevils (order Coleoptera, superfamily Curculionoidea) characterized by straight antennae inserted near the base of the rostrum and a prothorax distinctly narrower than the base of the elytra. Members are commonly known as leaf-rolling weevils for their habit of cutting and rolling leaves to form larval food chambers and pupal cells. The family includes approximately 2,500 described species in subfamilies Attelabinae, Apoderinae, Pterocolinae, and others; Rhynchitidae is sometimes treated as subfamily Rhynchitinae within Attelabidae.

Etymology

From Attelabus (type genus, from Greek attelēs 'incomplete' + -labos 'one that takes') + -idae (family suffix)

Example

The genus Attelabus includes the oak leaf-roller (Attelabus nitens), a European species whose females cut semicircular incisions in oak leaves and roll them into tight cylinders secured with saliva, within which a single egg is deposited.

Synonyms

• leaf-rolling weevils (common name, shared with Rhynchitidae)

Related Terms

• Curculionidae
• Rhynchitidae
• Curculionoidea
• rostrum
• Elytra
• prothorax
• leaf-rolling
• Coleoptera

Usage Notes

Attelabidae is treated as a distinct family in most modern classifications, though some systems subsume Rhynchitidae as subfamily Rhynchitinae. The straight (non-geniculate) antennae distinguish Attelabidae from the more derived Curculionidae, where antennae are elbowed and clubbed. The family's common name 'leaf-rolling weevils' overlaps with Rhynchitidae, which also exhibits leaf-rolling behavior; specialists may distinguish 'true' leaf-rolling weevils (Attelabidae sensu stricto) from 'tooth-nosed snout weevils' (Rhynchitidae).