Molytinae
Guides
Cryptorhynchini
Cryptorhynchini is a tribe of weevils within the subfamily Molytinae (Curculionidae). Members of this tribe are characterized by a rostrum that can be retracted into a ventral groove between the procoxae, a trait reflected in the name 'hidden snout.' The tribe contains numerous genera distributed across multiple continents, with diverse ecological roles including herbivory and, in at least one documented case, behavioral mimicry of dung beetles.
Eudociminus mannerheimii
Cypress Weevil
Eudociminus mannerheimii, the cypress weevil, is a native North American beetle in the family Curculionidae. It breeds primarily in scarred, weakened, or fallen cypress trees and occasionally damages nursery stock and stump sprouts. Despite its potential to cause localized tree mortality, published biological information remains extremely limited.
Heilipus squamosus
Avocado Weevil, Avocado Tree Girdler
Heilipus squamosus is a large weevil native to the southeastern United States and the sole species of its genus occurring in North America. It gained notoriety as the "avocado tree girdler," causing significant economic damage to Florida avocado groves from the late 1930s through the 1950s, with larval feeding resulting in 8-10% tree mortality. The species was historically considered rare outside avocado-producing regions, but 21st-century citizen science observations have expanded its known range from eight to fifteen states. Long confused with the French Guiana species H. apiatus due to an erroneous distribution in the original 1807 description, this nomenclatural issue was clarified in 2022.
Heilus
Heilus is a genus of weevils (Curculionidae: Molytinae: Molytini) established by Kuschel in 1955. The genus contains fourteen described South American species, with eleven species redescribed in a 2020 taxonomic review based primarily on Brazilian specimens. Species identification relies on integument texture and patterns of maculation. The type species is Heilus inaequalis (Boheman, 1836). Some species are associated with economically important plants, including avocado and cacao.
Pachylobius picivorus
pitch-eating weevil, pitch eating weevil
Pachylobius picivorus, commonly known as the pitch-eating weevil, is a pine root-feeding weevil native to North America. The species is an economically significant pest of natural and planted pine seedlings, with brood development requiring 100–128 days during summer. Adults are long-lived and oviposit continuously at approximately 0.7 eggs per day per female throughout their lifespan. Populations exhibit two annual peaks in the Georgia Piedmont, driven by temperature and developmental cycles. Behavioral studies indicate the species responds strongly to olfactory cues, particularly ethanol and turpentine mixtures, though visual cues are less important for host location than in related species such as Hylobius pales.
pine-weevilroot-feeding-weevilforestry-pestPinus-pestCurculionidaeNorth-AmericaGeorgia-Piedmonttrap-response-behaviorethanol-turpentine-responsepine-seedling-damagelong-lived-adultcontinuous-ovipositionpopulation-peakssummer-brood-developmentolfactory-cue-responsevisual-cue-secondaryTedders-trapmodified-Tilles-trapeconomic-pestforest-regeneration-pestlarval-root-feedingpine-plantation-pestbehavioral-ecologyhost-finding-behaviorground-dwelling-weevilPachylobiusMolytinaePissodiniPiazorhinus pictus
Piazorhinus pictus is a species of true weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1876. It is characterized by its distinctive coloration, as indicated by its specific epithet 'pictus' (meaning 'painted'). The species is known from eastern North America, with records from Canada (Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) and the United States. Despite a Wikipedia entry stating it occurs in South America, authoritative distributional records from GBIF and iNaturalist confirm a North American range. As a member of the subfamily Molytinae, it shares the typical weevil morphology including an elongated snout or rostrum with mouthparts at the tip.
Tranes
Tranes is a genus of true weevils in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Molytinae, established by Schoenherr in 1843. Species in this genus are strongly associated with cycads, particularly the genera Bowenia, Lepidozamia, and Macrozamia. A 2024 integrative taxonomic revision expanded the genus from four to ten species, describing six new species and redescribing previously named taxa. The genus is part of the broader Tranes group of cycad- and grasstree-associated weevils found in Australia.