Trophic Links of Leaf-Rolling Weevils (Coleoptera, Rhynchitidae and Attelabidae)

Abstract—The majority of beetle species examined develop on a limited set of plants, comprising species of 1 or 2 genera of the same family or, less frequently, of two closely related families. Some representatives of Rhynchitidae (mainly leaf-rollers) and Attelabidae populate several plant families, which is associated with an increased ability for larval development in dead tissues. Leaf-rolling weevils (Rhynchitidae and Attelabidae) are obligatory phytophagous species. The World fauna comprises about 1110 species of Rhynchitidae and about 1000 species of Attelabidae (Legalov, 2003). These beetles are widespread, but most species dwell in subtropical and tropical zones. Larval development is associated with vegetative and generative parts of plants. Many species make leaf rolls, where larvae are placed; adult insects also feed on plants during addi-tional feeding. Trophic links of these families are poorly studied. In this relation, the goal of the present study included revealing of these links and also ana-lyzing of beetle population on plants depending on their regional distribution, evolutionary state, and bio-logical peculiarities of Rhynchitidae and Attelabidae. The list of beetle species and their host plants was published earlier (Legalov, 2003); in this publication trophic associations of beetle larvae and adults and various groups of host plants were analyzed. In addi-tion to observations of the author, the data on trophic links were taken from the literature (see References). TROPHIC LINKS OF RHYNCHITIDA