Genus Ormiscus

Ormiscus Waterhouse 1845

14 described and ~30 undescribed spp. in our area(1), probably 200 more spp. throughout the Neotropics, mostly undescribed

see discussion in(2)

e. US and desert southwest(1)

Adults occur on dead twigs(2)

By far the largest New World genus, about 70 described species, and maybe 100 more undescribed. Since the genus is most easily organized by the male secondary sexual features (on the mid and hind tibiae) and some species appear to be parthenogenetic, this is a real nightmare. The first species of the genus was collected by Charles Darwin in the Galapagos, other species occur from Canada to Argentina and throughout the West Indies (where on some small islands it is the only anthribid). In all my years of collecting, I have never found any association of this genus with obvious fungi although all were on dying or dead twigs or small branches. Like in many other anthribids, "fungus weevil" is not an appropriate name. (Barry Valentine, pers.comm.)