A faunal survey and zoogeographic analysis of the Curculionoidea (Coleoptera) (excluding Anthribidae, Platypodinae, and Scolytinae) of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to [email protected], referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references: p. 239-257.Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.An annotated list of the Curculionoidea (Coleoptera) (excluding Anthribidae, Platypodinae, and Scolytinae) is presented for the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas. The list includes species that occur in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties. Each of the 235 species in 97 genera is treated according to its geographical range, Lower Rio Grande distribution, seasonal activity, plant associations, and biology. The taxonomic arrangement follows O'Brien & Wibmer (1982). A table of the species occurring in particular areas of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, such as the Boca Chica Beach area, the Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary, Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, and the Falcon Dam area is included. A table of the species and their host associations is also presented. Genera (number of species in parentheses) with the largest number of species represented are: Anthoiionzits (12), Apion (13), Conotrachehts (II), Listronotils (17), Sibinia (10), and Siiticronyx (15). Thirty percent of the total species in the Lower Rio Grande Valley belong in these genera. There are 22 undetermined and/or undescribed species recorded. Zoogeographic comparisons are made between the LRGV and Guatemala, North Dakota, Victoria County, San Patricio County, Big Bend National Park, and southern Florida. A high percentage of species of the LRGV were found to have northern affinities. Eight non-native species were not included in the zoogeographic comparisons. Twelve species appear to be endemic to the LRGV. Fifty-seven percent of the 227 species analyzed have the LRGV as either their northern or southern boundary. our representative collecting sites in the LRGV were chosen to make comparisons. The greatest diversity of weevil species of the LRGV occurs in the Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary (32%). This may be due to more extensive collecting at this site. Approximately one-third of the total diversity of the LRGV occurs on these 32 acres of land. Plant associations are known for 33% of the weevils occurring in the LRGV, although some of the associations may have been recorded from areas outside of the LRGV. Out of the 433 plant associations, 41.3% involve the families Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Asteraceae