A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Anisorhynchus sp.
Anisorhynchus genus species are the biggest Curculionidae (weevils) in the Iberian peninsula. There are 8 different species. They feed on a great variety of plants.
Spotted on Thapsia villosa plant. Evergrenn oak and pine tree forest. Dehesa de Valdelatas
Camera Model: NIKON D500. Exposure Time: 1/160 sec.; f/22; ISO Speed Rating: 8000. Focal Length: 90.0 mm. No flash fired. DSC_2268
Spotted on Jun 28, 2018
Submitted on Oct 29, 2018
2 Comments
Interesting remarks, thaptor. I agree with you that it would be an interesting field for citizen science
Do they really " feed on a great variety of plants"?
Fine you noted which plant it was here - Thapsia (Apiaceae) is a fine host candidate, because species of the related weevil genus Liparus also are on Apiaceae.
Only other mention I found for a host relation is here:
https://www.naturamediterraneo.com/forum...
which I believe is NOT confirmed by this observation:
https://www.naturamediterraneo.com/forum...
because nature of leaf attachment is not like in Allium.
The plant, however, may belong in Apiaceae, and associations with Apiaceae is all I can find:
https://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/ins...
https://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/ins...
https://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/ins...
https://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/ins...
https://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/ins...
possibly also this:
https://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/ins...
https://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/ins...
but most images are only of pedestrians, not feeding. There is possibility that in several cases, weevils were found crawling on, or sitting under a plant, and this was then recorded as a "host".
Would be worth to establish what the true host range may be - feeding experiments, more field observations - nice thing for citizen science!