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Beetles of Zihuatanejo

ORDER COLEOPTERA

Naupactini Broad-Nosed Weevils
Naupactini (Tribe)

Diet

  • Adults: Primarily herbivorous, feeding on leaves, buds, flowers and tender shoots of a wide variety of plants. Many species are generalist feeders, while others have stronger host-plant preferences.

  • Larvae: Usually develop in the soil, feeding on plant roots and other underground tissues.

  • Because larvae feed below ground and adults feed above ground, the two life stages occupy very different parts of the ecosystem.

Range

  • Naupactini is a predominantly New World tribe of broad-nosed weevils, with its greatest diversity in Central and South America and additional species in Mexico and the southern United States.

  • Mexico has a diverse Naupactini fauna, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.

  • Naupactini occurs in Guerrero and the Zihuatanejo area, where several genera and species can be found.

  • Around Zihuatanejo, these weevils are occasional to fairly common, with individual species varying considerably in abundance.

Habitat

  • Found in tropical dry forest, tropical deciduous forest, woodland, scrub, agricultural areas, gardens and secondary vegetation.

  • Adults are commonly found on foliage, shrubs, vines and low vegetation, particularly at night or during humid weather.

  • Larvae live in the soil around plant roots, where they can remain hidden for much of their development.

Size

  • Adult length: approximately 5–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in), depending on species.

  • Body generally robust and oval, with a broad rostrum and elbowed antennae.

  • Many species are covered with scales, producing mottled patterns in brown, grey, green, gold or bronze that provide camouflage among leaves and leaf litter.

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