Lixinae is a subfamily of true weevils, included in the Molytinae in many older treatments. They are mainly root feeders, although some develop in flower buds or stems. Several species are used in biological control of invasive weeds, namely knapweeds (Centaurea).
Characteristics include tarsal claws that are fused at the base, and labial palps are short and telescoping. The body is elongate shape, as for some other weevils. Each tibia bears an uncus (small hook) on its distal end. The rostrum is forwardly directed.
Genesis Bearing in mind modern geographical distribution of Lixinae and its feeding links, it is considered to be that this subfamily appeared in Euroasian lands, when the area of Tethys Ocean demenished. Probably, lixine weevils formed as group in the arid conditions of the deserts of Ancient Mediterranean. From here pra-lixine spread out the over dryland.
Taxonomy There are three tribes. The largest of these by far are the Cleonini, sometimes ranked as an independent subfamily in the past:
Cleonini
Adosomus Afghanocleonus Ammocleonus Aparotopus Aplesilus Apleurus Asinocleonus Asproparthenis Atactogaster Bodemeyeria Bothynoderes Brachycleonus Calodemas Centrocleonus Chromonotus Chromosomus Cleonis Cleonogonus Cleonolithus Cnemodontus Coniocleonus Conorhynchus Cosmogaster Curculionites Cyphocleonus Entymetopus Eocleonus Epexochus Ephimeronotus Epirrhynchus Eumecops Eurycleonus Georginus Gonocleonus Hemeurysternus Heterocleonus Isomerops Koenigius Leucochromus Leucomigus Leucophyes Liocleonus Lixocleonus Lixomorphus Lixopachys Mecaspis Menecleonus Mesocleonus Microcleonus Mongolocleonus Monolophus Neocleonus Nomimonyx Pachycerus Pajnisoodes Paraleucochromus Pentatropis Phaulosomus Pleurocleonus Pliocleonus Porocleonus Priorhinus Pseudisomerus Pseudocleonus Pycnodactylopsis Resmecaspis Rhabdorrhynchus Rungsonymus Scaphomorphus Stephanocleonus Surchania Temnorhinus Terminasiania Tetragonothorax Trachydemus Trichocleonus Trichotocleonus Whiteheadia Xanthochelus Xenomacrus Zaslavskia
Lixini
Broconius Eugeniodecus Eustenopus Gasteroclisus Hololixus Hypolixus Ileomus Lachnaeus Larinus Lixus Microlarinus Microlixus Mycotrichus
Rhinocyllini Bangasternus Rhinocyllus
References
External links