Aphanommata

Wollaston, 1873

Species Guides

Aphanommata tenuis

Aphanommata is a of weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cossoninae) to the Cape Verde archipelago in the Old World. The genus was erected by Wollaston in 1873 and currently includes three from Cape Verde: A. euphorbiarum (Santo ão), A. kuscheli (São Nicolau), and A. strakai (Fogo). A fourth species, A. filum, occurs elsewhere in the Old World. The genus has been subject to recent taxonomic revision including descriptions of larval and analysis of vertical and inter-insular distribution patterns.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Aphanommata: /ˌæfəˈnɒmətə/

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Identification

Members of Aphanommata can be distinguished from related cossonine using diagnostic characters provided in the keys of Skuhrovec et al. (2018). The genus includes with distinct island-specific distributions in Cape Verde.

Habitat

to the Cape Verde archipelago; occupy specific islands with documented vertical and inter-insular distributional patterns. The shows island-specific with each species restricted to particular islands.

Distribution

Cape Verde archipelago: Santo ão (A. euphorbiarum), São Nicolau (A. kuscheli), Fogo (A. strakai). Aphanommata filum occurs elsewhere in the Old World outside Cape Verde.

Life Cycle

Mature larva of A. kuscheli has been described; larval has been discussed in relation to the current state of knowledge about stages of Cossoninae. Specific details of complete not provided in available sources.

Similar Taxa

PselactusShares Cape Verde distribution and was reviewed alongside Aphanommata for vertical and inter-insular distributional patterns; belongs to same Cossoninae but distinguished by morphological characters.

More Details

Taxonomic history

Aphanommata euphorbiarum was originally described as Rhyncolus euphorbiarum by Wollaston in 1867; a lectotype was designated by Skuhrovec et al. (2018). Two new (A. kuscheli and A. strakai) were described in 2018, with their names subsequently validated to comply with International Code of Zoological requirements for electronic publication.

Research significance

The serves as a model for studying and vertical distribution patterns in oceanic archipelagos, with documented inter-insular and altitudinal distribution patterns among Cape Verde .