Genus Spartecerus Schoenherr 1834

Spartecerus is a rather common and in Southern Africa widespread genus of flightless terricolous entimine weevils that live under geophytes and stones.

Original genus description in:
Schoenherr, C.J. 1834. Genera et species Curculionidum, cum synonymia hujus familiae. Species nova ant hactenus minus cognitae, descriptionibus a Dom Leonardo Gyllenhal, C.H. Boheman, et entomologis allis illustratae
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/37662#page/437/mode/1up

The last and only comprehensive treatment was in 1948 (descriptions, key, records):
Marshall, A. K. (2009. On the curculionid genus Sparteceus Schönherr (Col.) Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London. Series B, Taxonomy, 17(11-12), 137–141. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.1948.tb00879.x
https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.1948.tb00879.x

A modern diagnosis of the genus is hidden in a paper on Philetaerobius:
Borovec, R., Oberprieler R. G., Meregalli, M. 2018. The Enigmatic Weevil Genus Philetaerobius from Southern Africa: Definition, Affinities and Description of Three New Species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae)

taken from there, the genus can be easily recognized by:

• globose shape
• tesselate scales
• tuberculate sculpture
• apically broadened rostrum
• squamose mandibles
• dorsal transverse sulcus separating rostrum from head
• flattened eyes, situated under a distinct ridge ('eyebrow')
• elevated frons, posteriorly shraply carinate
• pronotum with ocular lobes
• claws lang and free

Life history: Larvae feed on the underground bulbs of small geophytic monocotyledons.

iNat observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/198409293
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/191185401
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10836502
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11160876

Publicado el 22 de julio de 2024 por traianbertau