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Beetles of Zihuatanejo

ORDER COLEOPTERA

Cactus Weevil
Cactophagus spinolae

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Beetles (Order Coleoptera​​)

-​Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf, and Snout Beetles (Suborder Polyphaga)

-​Cucujiform Beetles (Infraorder Cucujiformia)

-Snout and Bark Beetles (Superfamily Curculionoidea)

-​True Weevils (Family Curculionidae)

-Subfamily Dryophthorinae

-Tribe Rhynchophorini

-Subtribe Sphenophorina

-Genus Cactophagus

-Cactus Weevil (Cactophagus spinolae)


This genus is primarily associated with cacti and is known for its role in the ecology of desert environments, particularly in relation to cactus plants. Adult beetles typically feed on the surface tissues of cacti, while the larvae bore into the stems or pads, feeding on the plant's internal tissues.

Diet

  • Larvae: Bore into the internal tissues of cacti, feeding primarily on the pith and vascular tissues of stems and cladodes. Larval feeding can cause tissue rot, weakening, deformation, and sometimes death of the affected plant.

  • Adults: Feed on young shoots, tender cladodes, areoles, flower buds, mature stems, and occasionally ripe fruit.

Range

  • Native to Mexico, with a range extending into the southern United States and Central America. Records in Mexico are widespread, particularly in central and western regions.

  • It has been documented in Guerrero, making it particularly relevant to the Zihuatanejo-area fauna.

Habitat

  • Primarily associated with tropical dry forests, thorn scrub, semi-arid vegetation, cactus-rich habitats, agricultural areas, and disturbed landscapes.

  • Adults occur directly on their cactus host plants, while larvae remain concealed within stems and cladodes.

  • It is particularly associated with prickly pears (Opuntia spp.), but its documented host range is considerably broader.

Size

  • Adult length: approximately 15–25 mm (0.6–1.0 in).

  • The body is robust and dark, with two orange-red transverse bands on the elytra, and a stout, slightly curved snout.

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