Cactus Weevil - Cactophagus spinolae

Moved

… margarethe brummermann, 24 April, 2009 - 12:37pm

Metamasius???

I agree with the species name, but what source suggests that the genus is Metamasius?

The correct genus is Cactophagus. This name was, for a time, dropped in favor of Metamasius, but was resurrected by Kuschel in this book: "Wibmer, G.J. & O'Brien, C.W. (1986) Annotated checklist of the weevils (Curculionidae sensu lato) of South America (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 39, i-xvi, 1-563."

Cactophagus is also listed as a valid genus in "American Beetles" (vol. 2, Arnett, Thomas, Skelley and Frank).

Also, check this source: "Anderson, R. S., 2002. The Dryophthoridae of Costa Rica and Panama: Checklist with keys, new synonymy and descriptions of new species of Cactophagus, Mesocorylus, Metamasius and Rhodobaenus (Coleoptera; Curculionoidea). Zootaxa 80: 1–94."

The correct identification is:

Cactophagus spinolae validus

The sub-species validus occurs in the United States and also differes from the other sub-species (spinolae) in that it is entirely black.

… Nathan Cottrell, 24 April, 2009 - 11:56am

I had that correct species name

as you can see from my Sept. 2008 entry. I got it directly from Charles O'Brien. No idea (no memory) why it ended up in the wrong genus. I'll fix it.

… margarethe brummermann, 24 April, 2009 - 12:12pm

I noticed that you had it cor

I noticed that you had it correct. I placed my comment on all images under Metamasius spinolae. It was a comment directed at trying to get a new species page created (since I do not have that authority).

… Nathan Cottrell, 24 April, 2009 - 12:53pm

There are still sources like ITIS

and Evan's Beetles of California that call it Metamisius. So I think I just got pulled into one of these taxonomical disputes about who's name was there first that I don't want to be part of....

… margarethe brummermann, 24 April, 2009 - 1:36pm

Moved

Moved from Scyphophorus.

… margarethe brummermann, 19 September, 2008 - 5:09pm

Cactophagus spinolae validus (LeConte)

Turns out the genus is different from the Agave weevil

… margarethe brummermann, 19 September, 2008 - 5:06pm