Sitona is a large genus of weevils in the family Curculionidae native to the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Over 100 species have been described.[2] Sitona is easily distinguished from related genera by flat, recumbent scales on the mandibles, by the absence of an oval scar on the mandibles, by short and broad rostrum with a deep, longitudinal, median groove, and by dense scales on the body.[3]

Sitona
Sitona macularius
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Curculionidae
Tribe: Sitonini
Genus: Sitona
Germar, 1817[1]
Species

100+

Sitona specialize on legumes, plants of the family Fabaceae. The larvae eat the root nodules[4] and the adults eat the leaves. Several species of Sitona are important agricultural pests of legumes, especially in its native regions and introduced populations in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.[2]

Species include:

References edit

  1. ^ Type species: Curculio lineatus Linnaeus, 1758 (= Sitona lineatus)
  2. ^ a b Velázquez de Castro, A. J.; et al. "Systematics of Sitonini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), with a hypothesis on the evolution of feeding habits" (PDF). Systematic Entomology (2007), 32, 312–331. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-06.
  3. ^ Donald E. Bright, Patrice Bouchard. The Insects and Arachnids of Canada, Part 25: Coleoptera. Curculionidae. Entiminae. Weevils of Canada and Alaska. Vol. 2. Ottawa, NRC Research Press, 2008. ISBN 0-660-19400-7. P. 178-203.
  4. ^ a b Korortyaev, B. A. and A. J. Velázquez de Castro González. (2011). A new species of the weevil genus Sitona Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Mt. Hermon in Israel. Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS 315(1) 85-88.
  5. ^ a b Velázquez de Castro, A. J., et al. (2011). Sitonini (Curculionidae: Entiminae) of Israel. Israel Journal of Entomology 40 71-108.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Bright, D. E. (1994). "Revision of the Genus Sitona (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) of North America". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 87 (3): 277–306. doi:10.1093/aesa/87.3.277.