The life history, distribution and morphological updates of horned poppy feeder Acentrus histrio (Schoenherr, 1837) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae)

Abstract

The augmented morphological description of the weevil species Acentrus histrio (Schoenherr, 1837) is provided and supplied with photographs of the terminalia and genitalia of both sexes. Female genitalia are described for the first time. Glaucium grandiflorum Boiss. & A. Huett and Glaucium corniculatum (L.) Rudolph (Papaveraceae) are reported as the host plants in Turkey. The adults emerge from the soil in very early spring, locate the host plant, feed on young leaves and buds, mate on the host plant, and females deposit eggs inside the seed capsules. The larvae feed with seeds, mature larvae leave capsules entering soil to pupate, and adults of the new generation hibernate in the soil at the root base of the host plant. This species is univoltine and produced one generation annually in eastern Turkey. Acentrus histrio is newly recorded for Azerbaijan, and A. boroveci Košťál, 2014, for Tajikistan.