Ellescini
Guides
Ellescus
Ellescus is a genus of true weevils in the family Curculionidae, tribe Ellescini. The genus contains approximately 16 described species globally. In North America, four valid species are recognized: the widespread and morphologically variable E. ephippiatus, the Holarctic E. bipunctatus, the west coast endemic E. californicus, and the temperate E. michaeli. Species identification relies on morphological examination and molecular markers, particularly ITS2, which has proven more reliable than CO1 for delineating closely related species.
Ellescus bipunctatus
Ellescus bipunctatus is a Holarctic weevil species in the tribe Ellescini. A recent taxonomic revision designated a neotype for this species and established E. borealis as its junior synonym. It is one of four valid Ellescus species in North America, where it occurs alongside the widespread E. ephippiatus, the west coast endemic E. californicus, and the newly described E. michaeli. The species has been distinguished from congeners using integrative taxonomy combining morphological and molecular data.