Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nmvwc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-25T09:18:02.617Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Preliminary studies on the taxonomy and distribution of the melon weevil, Acythopeus Curvirostris (Boheman) (including Baris granulipennis (Tournier)) (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

R. T. Thompson
Affiliation:
British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD

Abstract

The melon weevil, Acythopeus curvirostris (Boheman), is a speciescomplex comprising at least four allopatric forms, here regarded as subspecies. Of the seven available species-group names, three are retained for subspecies and four placed in synonymy; an eighth name is proposed for the fourth subspecies. The generic and subgeneric placements of the melon weevil and its relatives are discussed. The following check-list of the species of Acythopeus (Carpobaris) summarizes the present position (synonyms all new): A. (C.) curvirostris (Boheman) (=traegardhi (Aurivillius)), A. (C.) c. granulipennis (Tournier) (=colocynthae Voss, globulicollis Voss, cucumidis Voss), A. (C.) c. persicus subsp. n., A. (C.) c. citrulli Marshall, A. (C.) alcyoneus (Erichson) (=atrocoeruleus (Boheman)), A. (C.) cucurbitae (Marshall), A. (C.) speciosus (Gerstaecker), A. (C.) coelestis (Pascoe). (Acythopeus francisci nom.n. = A curvirostris Pascoe, 1874, nee Boheman, 1844.) Simple biometric procedures indicate differences between the subspecies of A. curvirostris; some characters show clinal variation. The melon weevil occurs across the Sudan Belt, in the Middle East, Iran and South India. It is generally a minor and transient pest of cucurbit fruits. One parasite and one predator are known.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adair, E.W. (1917). Additional notes on some Egyptian Cerambicidae mentioned in Mr. Alfieri's list. –Bull. Soc. ent. Égypte 5, 9697.Google Scholar
Anon, .(1967). Insects not known to occur in the United States. Melon weevil (Baris granulipennis (Tournier)). –Co-op, econ. Insect Rep. 17, 431432.Google Scholar
Appert, J. (1957). Les parasites animaux des plantes cultivées au Sénégal et au Soudan. – 272 pp. Bambey, Inspection Générale de l'Agriculture de l'AOF, Centre de Recherches Agronomiques.Google Scholar
Avidov, Z. (1961). Pests of the cultivated plants of Israel with contributions by I. Harpaz and E. Swirski. –546 pp. Jerusalem, Hebrew University [In Hebrew].Google Scholar
Avidov, Z. & Harpaz, I. (1969). Plant pests of Israel. –549 pp. Jerusalem, Israel Universities Press.Google Scholar
Ayyar, T.V.R. (1920). Some insects recently noted as Injurious in South India. –Rep. Proc. ent. Meet.Pusa 3(1), 314328.Google Scholar
Ayyar, T.V.R. (1922). The weevil fauna of South India with special reference to species of economic importance. –Bull, agric. Res. Inst. Pusa 125, 21 pp.Google Scholar
Ayyar, T.V.R. (1940). Handbook of economic entomology for South India. –528 pp. Madras, Government Press.Google Scholar
Balachowsky, A.S. (Ed.) (1963). Entomologie appliquée à l'agriculture. Tome I. Coléoptères. Second volume. –824 pp. Paris, Masson.Google Scholar
Blunck, H. (Ed.) (1954). Tierische Schädlinge an Nutzpflanzen, 2 Teil. Coleoptera. –5th edn, 599 pp. Berlin, Parey. (Handbuch der Pflanzenkrankheiten Band 5, Lieferung 2).Google Scholar
Boehm, R (1908). Notes biologiques sur quelques coléoptères de la faune désertique. –Bull. Soc. ent. Égypte 1. 5769.Google Scholar
Derwesh, A.I. (1963). A preliminary list of Coleoptera from Iraq. –Tech. Bull. Minist. Agric. Iraq 13, 38 pp.Google Scholar
Derwesh, A.I. (1965). A preliminary list of identified insects and some arachnids of Iraq. –Bull. Minist. Agric. Iraq 121, 123 pp.Google Scholar
Desbrochers Des Loges, J. (1892). Révision des Baridiides d'Europe et des contrées limitrophes. –Frelon 2, 1969.Google Scholar
El-hariri, G. (1968). A list of recorded Syrian insects and Acari. –161 pp. Aleppo.Google Scholar
El-hariri, G. (1971). A list of recorded insect fauna of Syria, Part 2. –306 pp. Aleppo.Google Scholar
Faust, J. (1894). Viaggio di Leonardo Fea in Birmania e regioni vicine. LX. Curculionidae. –Annali Mus. civ. Stor. nat. Giacomo Doria 14, 153370.Google Scholar
Fletcher, T.B. (Ed.) (1917). –Rep. Proc. ent. Meet. Pusa 3(1). 340 pp.Google Scholar
Fletcher, T.B. (1919). A weevil attacking water-melons in Bellary. Second hundred notes on Indian insects [no. 123]. –Bull, agric. Res. Inst. Pusa 89, 102 pp.Google Scholar
Fletcher, T.B. (1920). Annotated list of Indian crop-ests. –Rep. Proc. ent. Meet. Pusa 3, 33314.Google Scholar
Gentry, J.W. (1965). Crop insects of northeast Africa-southwest Asia. –U.S.D.A. Agriculture Handbook no. 273, 210 pp.Google Scholar
Gerstaecker, A. (1873). Baron Carl Claus von der Decken's Reisen in Ost-Afrika 3(2), 542 pp. Leipzig & Heidelberg, C.F. Winter.Google Scholar
Heller, K.M. (1940). Indomalayische Rüsselkäfer II (Coleoptera, Curculionidae). –Arb. morph. taxon. Ent. Berl 7, 92113.Google Scholar
Hoffmann, A. (1968). Contribution à la faune de l'Iran, 6. Coléoptères Curculionidae et Bruchidae. –Annls Soc. ent. Fr. 4, 145154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hussain, Ali A. (1957). The insect pests of Iraq and their control. –222 pp. Baghdad.Google Scholar
Hustache, A. (1938). Curculionidae: Barinae. –Coleoptm Cat. 163, 219 pp.Google Scholar
Jagerskiold, L.A. (1905). Coleoptera from the Swedish Zoological Expedition to Egypt and the White Nile. –Results Swed. zool. Exped. Egypt White Nile 2(10a), 120.Google Scholar
King, H.H. (1908). Report on economic entomology. –Rep. Wellcome trop. Res. Labs 3, 201248.Google Scholar
King, H.H. (1911). Report of the entomological section of the Wellcome Tropical Research Laboratories. –Rep. Wellcome trop. Res. Labs 4(B), 95150.Google Scholar
Klein, H.Z. (1945). Pests of vegetables in Palestine. –164 pp. Tel-Aviv. [In Hebrew.]Google Scholar
Knight, R.L. & Boyns, B.M. (1950). Agricultural science in the Sudan. A bibliography with abstracts. –251 pp. Arbroath, T. Buncle.Google Scholar
MansouR, K. (1934). The development of the adult mid-gut of coleopterous insects and its bearing on systematics and embryology. –Bull. Fac. Sci. Egypt. Univ. 2, 34 pp.Google Scholar
[Marseul, S.A. de] (1878). Bibliographie. –Abeille, Paris 16, 150.Google Scholar
Marshall, G.A.K. (1916). Some injurious Indian weevils (Curculionidae)-II. –Bull. ent. Res. 6, 365373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marshall, G.A.K. (1955). Contributions à l'étude de la faune entomologique du Ruanda-Urundi (Mission P. Basilewsky 1953). LXVI. Coleoptera, Curculionidae. –Annls Mus. r. Congo belge Sér. 8vo (Zool.) 40, 240295.Google Scholar
Maxwell, Lefroy H. & Howlett, F.M. (1909). Indian insect life. A manual of the insects of the plains (Tropical India). –786 pp. Calcutta, Thacker Spink.Google Scholar
Mayr, E. (1969). Principles of systematic zoology. –428 pp. New York, McGraw Hill.Google Scholar
Millet, E.R. (1962). Summary of insect conditions in Afghanistan. –Co-op. econ. Insect Rep. 12, 4347.Google Scholar
Millet, E.R. (1963). Summary of insect conditions in Afghanistan. –Co-op. econ. Insect Rep. 13, 7274.Google Scholar
Misra, C.S. (1920). Index to Indian fruit-pests. –Rep. Proc. ent. Meet. Pusa, 3 564595.Google Scholar
Pascoe, F.P. (1874). Contributions towards a knowledge of the Curculionidae IV. –J. Linn. Soc. (Zool.) 12 ,199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perrin, H. (1970). Contribution à la faune de l'Iran, 17. Coléoptères Curculionidae. –Annls Soc. ent. Fr. 6, 359366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pollard, D.G. (1955). The insect pests of vegetables in the Sudan. –Bull. Minist. Agric. Sudan 16, 76 pp.Google Scholar
Reh, L. (1906–1913). Die tierischen Feinde. –Handb. PflKrankh. 3, 774 pp.Google Scholar
Reitter, E. (1902). Coleopterologische Notizen 612–619. –Wien. ent. Ztg 21, 221222.Google Scholar
Risbec, J. (1950). La faune entomologique des cultures au Sénégal et au Soudan français.–500 pp. Dakar, Gouvernement Générale de l'Afrique Occidentale Française. (Travaux de Laboratoire d'Entomologie du Secteur Soudanais de Recherches Agronomiques. Station Expérimentale de M'Bambey (Sénégal) et Section Technique d'Agriculture Tropicale du Ministére de la France d'Outre-Mer no. 1.)Google Scholar
Risbec, J. (1951). Les Chalcidoïdes d'A.O.F.Mem. Inst. fr. Afr. noire 13, 409 pp.Google Scholar
Rivnay, E. (1960). The life-history of the melon weevil, Baris granulipennis (Tourn.), in Israel. –Bull. ent. Res. 51, 115122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rivnay, E. (1962). Field crop pests in the Near East. –450 pp. The Hague, Junk. (Monographiae Biologicae X.)Google Scholar
Schmutterer, H. (1969). Pests of crops in northeast and central Africa with particular reference to the Sudan. –296 pp. Stuttgart, Fischer.Google Scholar
Schönherr, C.J. (1844). Genera et species Curculionidum 8(1), 442 pp. Paris, Roret; Leipzig, Fleischer.Google Scholar
Shalaby, F. (1958). Alphabetical list of Egyptian insects in the collection of the Ministry of Agriculture. –Tech. Bull. Minist. Agric. Egypt. 284, 135 pp.Google Scholar
Simpson, G.G., Roe, A. & Lewontin, R.C. (1960). Quantitative zoology. –440 pp. New York, Harcourt, Brace & World.Google Scholar
Stackelberg, A.A. (Ed.) (1932). List of injurious insects of the U.S.S.R. and adjacent countries. Part I. Pests of agriculture. –Trudy Zashch. Rast. (Ent.) 5,500 pp [In Russian]Google Scholar
Storey, G. (1916). List of Egyptian insects in the collection of the Ministry of Agriculture. –Bull. Minist. Agric. Egypt, tech. scient. Serv. (Ent.) 5, 52 pp.Google Scholar
Tournier, H. (1873). Curculionides nouveaux. –Mitt, schweiz. ent. Ges. 4, 170191.Google Scholar
Voss, E. (1962). Attelabidae, Apionidae, Curculionidae (Coleoptera Rhynchophora). –Explor. Parc natn. Upemba Miss. G.F. de Witte 1948–49 fasc. 44, 380 pp.Google Scholar
Voss, E. (1964). Ergebnisse der Zoologischen Nubien-Expedition 1962. Teil XXII. Coleoptera, Curculionidae. –Annln naturh. Mus. Wien 67, 583601.Google Scholar
Voss, E. (1965). Mission zoologique de l'I.R.S.A.C. en Afrique orientate (P. Basilewsky et N. Leleup, 1957), XCVII. Coleoptera Curculionidae II. –Annls Mus. r. Afr. centr. Ser 8vo (Zool.) no 138 293377.Google Scholar
Voss, E. (1969). Einige neue Rüssler-Arten und -Unterarten aus der paläarktischen Region. –Ent. Bl Biol. Svst. Käfer 65, 5363.Google Scholar
Zaslavskii, V.A. (1956). A revision of the weevils of the genus Baris Germ, of the fauna of the Soviet Union and neighbouring countries. –Trudy vses. ént. Obshch. 45, 343374. [In Russian]Google Scholar