Araecerus fasciculatus (DeGeer)

Janicki, Julia & Young, Daniel K., 2017, Nemonychidae and Anthribidae of Wisconsin (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea), Insecta Mundi 2017 (579), pp. 1-36 : 7

Araecerus fasciculatus (DeGeer)

Curculio fasciculatus DeGeer 1775: 276 . Araecerus fasiculatus (DeGeer) ; Wolfrum 1929: 105.

Description. Length (head excluded) 2.4–4.5mm. Body elongate. Integument light to dark red and black. Vestiture consisting of abundant, recumbent, grey to light brown or dark brown to nearly black setae; pronotal vestiture more intermixed and often darker medially on disc; setae of elytral interstriae light and dark, appearing as spots. Rostrum truncate, slightly prolonged apically. Eyes rounded. Pronotal width 1.5X length, widest at base, base broadly emarginate, sides conspicuously converging apically; transverse carina basal, acute, lateral carinae forming a 90° angle with transverse carina; shape convex, surface densely punctate. Elytral length 1.2X width, 1.8X pronotal length; striae weakly impressed, with shallow punctures; interstriae with abundant punctures that are smaller than those of striae. Sexual dimorphism present in pygidium and metathoracic sternum: pygidium of male vertical, evenly rounded apically, and pygidium of female inclined, oblique or pointed apically; metathoracic sternum of male with pale trichobothrial patch mesally.

Diagnosis. Araecerus fasciculatus can be distinguished from other members of Araecerus by the larger size (2.4–4.5 mm, excluding head), upturned apex of the lateral prothoracic carina, curved, internally denticulate prothoracic tibiae, short, unusually broad prothoracic tarsomeres, and by the absence of elytral tubercles, crests, or carinae. It can be distinguished from other anthribids by having the antennae inserted on the head or anterior surface of the rostrum, rounded eyes with the upper margins not closer than the lower margins, elongate body, and by the extruded head.

Natural history. This species has a cosmopolitan distribution but probably survives outdoors only in warmer climates. That said, its northern distributional limit is unknown ( Valentine 1998). Larvae, pupae and adults have been found in the pith of corn ( Zea mays ) and they are able to cause stunted ears, with the most noticeable damage being on the joints ( Tucker 1909). This species is a generalist and feeds on dozens of dried and/or living plant tissues, including nutmeg, dried fruits, potatoes, chocolate, coffee beans, corn stalks, dry decayed cotton balls, as well as berries of chinaberry trees ( Tucker 1909). The adults also have been recorded to feign death for a short time when disturbed, as is commonly observed for other weevils ( Tucker 1909).