Naupactini (Curculionidae: Entiminae) is a primarily Neotropical tribe of broad-nosed weevils with its highest genus and species diversity in South America. Despite several taxonomic contributions published during the last decades, the evolutionary history of Naupactini remains poorly understood. We present the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis for this tribe based on a data matrix of 100 adult morphological characters scored for 70 species, representing 55 genera of Naupactini (ingroup) and four outgroups belonging to the entimine tribes Otiorhynchini, Entimini, Eustylini and Tanymecini. According to the most parsimonious tree Artipus does not belong to Naupactini; the genera with flat and broad antennae, formerly assigned to other entimine tribes, form a monophyletic group (Saurops (Curiades (Aptolemus (Platyomus)))) related to the clade (Megalostylus (Megalostylodes (Chamaelops Wagneriella))); and the genera distributed along the high Andes, Paramos and Puna form a natural group (Asymmathetes (Amphideritus (Leschenius (Amitrus (Obrieniolus (Melanocyphus Trichocyphus)))))), nested within a larger clade that includes Pantomorus, Naupactus and allied genera. Atrichonotus, Hoplopactus, Mimographus and Naupactus are not recovered as monophyletic. In order to address the taxonomic implications of our phylogenetic analysis, we propose the following nomenclatural changes: to transfer Artipus from Naupactini to Geonemini, to revalidate the genera Mimographopsis (type species M. viridicans), and to revalidate the genus Floresianus (type species F. sordidus). The evolution of selected characters is discussed.This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid: zoobank.org:pub:C8AA4388-A2F0-4E2D-889A-500BEA5A9DE1.

The Entiminae are broad-nosed weevils constituting the most diverse subfamily of Curculionidae, with over 50 tribes. We performed Bayesian and Maximum Parsimony combined phylogenetic analyses with the main objective of testing higher-level relationships and the naturalness of the major Neotropical and Southern South American (Patagonia and Andes) tribes, including some members from other regions. We compiled a data matrix of 67 terminal units with 63 Entiminae species, as well as four outgroup taxa from Cyclominae, by 3522 molecular (from nuclear 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA, and mitochondrial 16S rDNA and COI gene sequences) and 70 morphological characters. The resulting trees recover a clade Entiminae with a monophyletic Cylydrorhinini and Premnotrypes branching off early. The tree resulting from parsimony analysis shows a clade of Leptopiini from the Australian region and another clade including taxa mainly distributed in the Palaearctic and Neotropical regions, but in the Bayesian tree the South American and Australian Leptopiini are grouped together. The mainly Palaearctic Entiminae (e.g., Brachyderini, Laparocerini, Otiorhynchini, Peritelini, Polydrusini, Phyllobiini and Sciaphylini) form a subclade separated from Southern Hemisphere taxa. Among the latter, the well-supported Naupactini are the sister group of the South American Tanymecini, excluding Platyaspistes, herein transferred to Leptopiini (new placement). Another well-justified clade is Eustylini–Geonemini, which also includes the enigmatic Galapagonotus, and the genus Artipus, thus corroborating its recent exclusion from Naupactini.

We undertook the first cladistic analysis of the Pantomorus-Naupactus complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from North and Central America, based on 35 species and 61 morphological characters, plus 1151 bp of the mtDNA COI and Cyt b genes. The morphological and the combined matrices analyzed with TNT yielded a single most parsimonious cladogram that allows recognition of two main lineages within the Pantomorus-Naupactus complex in North and Central America. One is represented by the species formerly placed in Phacepholis and the Pantomorus species group II sensu Sharp, ranging along the Pacific coast of Central America and Mexico and reaching the Great Plains of North America in the United States, yet not occurring in South America. The other lineage is represented by the species of Naupactus and Pantomorus species group I, with closer relationships to the South American species of these genera. The Pantomorus group I includes the type species of the genus (P. albosignatus Boheman) whereas the Pantomorus group II includes the type species of Athetetes Pascoe, 1886 (A. globicollis Pascoe). Based on the results of our phylogenetic analysis, we recommend retaining the name Pantomorus Schoenherr for most species of the Pantomorus group I, except P. stupidus (Boheman) and P. femoratus Sharp which should be transferred to Naupactus Dejean. Moreover, we enlarge the previous concept of Phacepholis to include most species of the Pantomorus group II, and we establish the synonymy of Athetetes Pascoe, 1886 with Phacepholis Horn, 1876, being the latter the valid name, by priority.

Ten species of parthenogenetic broad-nosed weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) native to Argentina, southern Brazil, and Uruguay were selected for niche modeling analysis based on climatic data and altitude, to evaluate their potential range expansion inside and outside South America. The selected species belong to five genera of the tribe Naupactini affecting economically important crops. Until present, five of the 10 species analyzed here have invaded prairies and steppes of countries outside South America (Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, United States, and South Africa): Aramigus tessellatus (Say), Atrichonotus sordidus (Hustache), Atrichonotus taeniatulus (Berg), Naupactus leucoloma Boheman, and Naupactus peregrinus (Buchanan). Our niche modeling analyses performed with MAXENT demonstrated that these areas would be also suitable for Aramigus conirostris (Hustache), Eurymetopus fallax (Boheman), Pantomorus auripes Hustache, Pantomorus ruizi (Brèthes), and Pantomorus viridisquamosus (Boheman), consequently, they also have the potential to invade areas outside their native ranges, mainly in southeastern United States, some European countries (e.g., Portugal, France, and southern England), South Africa, New Zealand, and southeastern Australia. All the studied species share similar environmental requirements, the most important variables being the Mean Temperature of Driest Quarter, the Annual Mean Temperature and Isothermality. Long distance dispersal through commercial trade, and parthenogenetic reproduction would increase the threat of these weevils to crop production worldwide.