Primitive-weevil
Guides
Arrenodes minutus
Oak Timberworm
Arrenodes minutus, commonly known as the oak timberworm, is the sole species in the genus Arrenodes, a primitive weevil genus in the family Brentidae. This wood-boring beetle is a pest of hardwoods in North America, with larvae tunneling through the xylem of wounded or recently felled trees. The species exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism in mouthpart structure: females possess elongated, slender rostra for drilling egg holes into wood, while males have shortened, broadened mandibles used for combat and courtship. The life cycle spans two to four years, with adults active from May through August.
Brentus
Brentus is the type genus of primitive weevils in the family Brentidae and tribe Brentini. Species are distributed in the Americas, with most diversity occurring in tropical regions. The genus exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism in rostrum and mandible morphology, with females possessing elongated, slender rostrums for wood-boring oviposition and males having short, robust mandibles used in territorial combat. These beetles develop as larvae in the wood of living or wounded trees.
Cimberis elongata
pine flower snout beetle
Cimberis elongata is a species of pine flower snout beetle in the family Nemonychidae, a group of primitive weevils. It is found in North America, with records from Canada (British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick) and the United States. The species belongs to a small genus of pollen-feeding beetles associated with conifers.
Ithycerus
New York weevil
Ithycerus is a genus of primitive weevils in the family Ithyceridae (sometimes treated as Brentidae). The genus contains at least one described species, Ithycerus noveboracensis, commonly known as the New York weevil. These beetles are relatively large for weevils and are characterized by their distinctive spotted pattern and bristly body surface. The genus represents an ancient lineage within the weevil superfamily Curculionoidea.
Ithycerus noveboracensis
New York Weevil
Ithycerus noveboracensis is a primitive weevil and the sole living member of the family Ithyceridae. It is among the largest North American weevils, measuring 12–18 mm. The species is characterized by its distinctive spotted coloration and bristly body texture. It occurs in deciduous forests of eastern North America, where adults feed on fungi and sap flows from hardwood trees.
Lecontellus
Lecontellus is a genus of weevils in the family Nemonychidae, established by Kuschel in 1989. It belongs to an ancient lineage of weevils that diverged early from other Curculionoidea. The genus is rarely encountered, with very few observations documented.
Paratrachelizus
Paratrachelizus is a genus of primitive weevils in the family Brentidae, established by Kleine in 1921. The genus contains more than 30 described species. Members of this genus are characterized by the elongated, straight rostrum typical of brentid weevils. The genus has been recorded from Colombia.
Tanysphyrus ater
Tanysphyrus ater is a small weevil species described by Blatchley in 1928. It belongs to the family Erirhinidae (sometimes placed in Brachyceridae or Curculionidae in different classifications), a group of primitive weevils. The species epithet 'ater' refers to its black coloration. Very little published information exists on its biology or ecology, with only scattered collection records from North America.