Curculionidae

Definition

A family of beetles (order Coleoptera, superfamily Curculionoidea) comprising the true weevils or snout beetles, distinguished by a pronounced rostrum with mandibles at the tip and elbowed, clubbed antennae inserted partway along the snout. With approximately 83,000 described species in 6,800 genera, it is among the most species-rich animal families. Larvae are typically endophytic, developing in seeds, stems, roots, or wood; adults feed on diverse plant tissues. The family is sister to Brentidae.

Etymology

From Curculio (type genus, Latin for weevil) + -idae (family suffix)

Example

The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis), a destructive pest of cotton, belongs to Curculionidae; its larvae develop within cotton squares and bolls, while adults feed on pollen and puncture squares to oviposit.

Synonyms

• true weevils
• snout beetles

Related Terms

• Brentidae
• Curculionoidea
• Coleoptera
• rostrum
• weevil
• endophytic larva
• scolytinae

Usage Notes

Curculionidae is treated as plural in formal taxonomic usage ("the Curculionidae are..."), though singular constructions occur in informal contexts. The family encompasses the majority of weevil diversity; however, the common name "weevil" also applies to several related families (Brentidae, Attelabidae, etc.) formerly grouped within a broader Curculionidae. Specialists restrict Curculionidae to the 'true' or 'short-nosed' weevils with geniculate antennae, excluding the long-nosed Brentidae and other lineages.