A Review of the Araucaria-Associated Weevils of the Tribe Orthorhinini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with Description of New Species of Ilacuris Pascoe, 1865 and Notopissodes Zimmerman &amp; Oberprieler, 2014 and a New Genus, Kuschelorhinus Anderson &amp; Setliff

2020

Austral Entomology

The Australian trunk‐boring cycad weevils of the genera Demyrsus Pascoe, 1872 and Siraton Hustache, 1934 (Molytinae) are sometimes considered as cycad pests when they infest planted cycads and can be transported to other countries. In the present study, the taxonomy of Demyrsus and Siraton is reviewed, and four species are recognised: D. meleoides Pascoe, 1872, D. digmon sp. nov., S. internatus (Pascoe, 1870) and S. roei (Boheman, 1843). The discovery of a second species of Demyrsus illustrates a larger diversity of cycad‐associated weevils in Australia than currently known and identifies a further species with the potential to damage and kill cultivated cycads. The species descriptions and diagnoses are supplemented with illustrations of the habitus and salient structures, a distribution map and an identification key to all species of trunk‐boring cycad weevils in Australia. Their potential hosts are identified from a spatial analysis of their distributions and the distributions of the cycad taxa occurring in this range.

“…2014: 288 (catalogue); Anderson et al . 2018: 2 (classification); Legalov, 2018: 345 (key, catalogue, classification).…”

Section: Taxonomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of the trunk‐boring cycad weevils in Australia, with description of a second species ofDemyrsusPascoe, 1872 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

2020

Austral Entomology

“…Miltotranes belongs to the Tranes group of the molytine tribe Orthorhinini (Anderson et al . 2018). This group also contains the genus Tranes Schoenherr, 1843, which comprises the main pollinators of the Australian cycad genera Macrozamia and Lepidozamia (Chadwick 1993; Oberprieler 1995, 2004; Terry 2001; Hall et al .…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Miltotranes Zimmerman, 1994 is an Australian endemic weevil genus comprising two species, M. prosternalis and M. subopacus (Lea, 1929), which have evolved highly specialized interactions with Bowenia cycads. Miltotranes belongs to the Tranes group of the molytine tribe Orthorhinini (Anderson et al 2018). This group also contains the genus Tranes Schoenherr, 1843, which comprises the main pollinators of the Australian cycad genera Macrozamia and Lepidozamia (Chadwick 1993;Oberprieler 1995Oberprieler , 2004Terry 2001;Hall et al 2004;Wallenius et al 2012;Wallenius 2014).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Bionomics and rearing of Miltotranes prosternalis (Lea, 1929) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a mutualistic cycad pollinator in Australia

2020

Entomological Science

Pollination is the crucial stage for reproduction and survival of plants, therefore knowledge about the bionomics of pollinators is often critical for plant conservation. Bowenia spectabilis (Cycadales: Stangeriaceae) is a CITES-protected cycad species endemic to the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Queensland, Australia. It is pollinated by a host-specific weevil species, Miltotranes prosternalis (Lea, 1929) (Curculionidae: Molytinae), which breeds in its male cones but also visits its female cones and pollinates them. The association between the cycad and the weevil is an obligate brood-site reward pollination system, in which the weevil is provided with food and a brood site by the plant in "return" for the service of pollinating it. To facilitate the knowledge of the natural history of this unique Bowenia pollinator, we developed a method for rearing mature larvae of M. prosternalis collected from the field in the laboratory. Furthermore, we summarize biological information of M. prosternalis gathered from previous studies and by firsthand observations in the wild and during rearing in captivity.

“…Paratranes Zimmerman, 1994 is a weevil genus endemic to Australia, belonging to the Tranes group of Orthorhinini Jekel, 1865 (Anderson et al 2018) or placed in its own tribe, Tranini (Legalov 2018; corrected from 'Tranesini' by Hsiao & Oberprieler (2020)). Unlike the other genera of the Tranes group, which are mostly associated with cycads, Paratranes weevils are associated with grasstrees (Zimmerman 1994;Oberprieler 1995Oberprieler , 2004Oberprieler & Caldara 2012;Anderson et al 2018), having been taken at the base of flower stalks and amongst young leaves (Froggatt 1896(Froggatt , 1907Lea 1898;Mulder 1964;Hawkeswood 1985). The genus was established by Zimmerman (1994) in his key to the genera of the Tranes group for a single species, P. monopticus (Pascoe, 1870).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of Paratranes Zimmerman, 1994, Xanthorrhoea-associated weevils of the Tranes group (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Molytinae), with description of a new species

2021

EJT

837

Grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea) are a group of monocotyledonous plants endemic to Australia, with a characteristic crown of long and narrow leaves. In the present study, the grasstree-associated weevils of the genus Paratranes Zimmerman, 1994 are reviewed and two species are recognised: P. monopticus (Pascoe, 1870) and P. zimmermani sp. nov. A lectotype for Tranes xanthorrhoeae Lea, 1898, which was recently synonymised with P. monopticus, is herein designated, and the validity of this synonymy is confirmed. Descriptions and diagnoses of the species are supplemented with photographs of their habitus and salient structures as well as a map of their distributions.