Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Brachyderinae, Leptopiinae, Otiorhynchinae, Tanymecinae, Thylacitinae.
Size
2 - 25 mm (just a range estimate)
Identification
Rostrum (snout) at most about two times as long as wide, often considerably shorter.
(This character does not seperate from species with short snouts belonging to other subfamilies!)
Antennae inserted dorsally (then diagnostic),
or laterally. The first antennal segment is, as a rule, reaching or surpassing eyes when laid backwards (a rare case in other subfamilies).
The defining character of the group is on the ventral face of the rostrum: Apical excision completely covered by the mentum, no submentum present.
Life Cycle
Larvae of the group generally live in soil and feed on roots. Eggs are dropped, laid on soil under plant, but never placed in plant tissues.
Remarks
Two remarcable trends are to be observed in the subfamily:
- Polyphagy. Many Entimines are feeding on a variety of plant families; specialisation is rather to habitat type, or stratum in it, then to plant species.
- Parthenogenesis. Several parthenogenetic lineages are found within the subfamily.
Both trends greatly facilitate sucessful introduction of alien species.
