A new weevil species was recently discovered in Japan. Its distinct color prompts the researchers to conclude that it's unlike the previous weevil they had already identified.
New Weevil Species Discovered in Japan
A new weevil species was found on Ishigaki Island and in Yanbaru National Park in Okinawa, Japan's virgin subtropical forests.
The Ryukyu Islands, a group of subtropical islands between mainland Japan and Taiwan renowned for their exceptional biodiversity, have a unique and intriguing insect flora. They also have a relatively isolated evolutionary history, Phys.org reported.
Various insects, including beetles, flies, wasps, and bees, have been caught in net traps set up by researchers at the Okinawan Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) to monitor insects on Okinawa Island since 2015. These insects have been preserved in ethanol, dried, and kept in the OIST insect collection.
OIST entomologist Jake H. Lewis, who serves as Collection Manager at the OIST Environmental Science and Informatics Section, successfully identified the recently discovered species of beetle named Acicnemis ryukyuana, by microscope examination and dissection.
Lewis said he plunged himself into the OIST weevil collection when he got there in 2022. He looked at the animal closely, and the species immediately caught his attention. According to Lewis, it was a member of the genus Acicnemis but was unlike any other species from East Asia that had been documented. The species differs from other recognized Japanese species due to its elongated scales and distinctive coloring.
The yellow bands on its shoulders and a distinctive pattern of gray, black, and yellow scales on its hard forewings made it easy for him to identify it. The lengthy scales (hairs) on the back and the shape of the final leg segment are two distinctive characteristics that can be seen under a microscope.
Lewis said Ryukyuana appears to have some association with other species in Southeast Asia. However, they need DNA investigations to confirm it.
The expert added that in contrast to Canada, where weevils have been much more thoroughly investigated, several weevil species have not yet been named in Okinawa. Lewis finds it exciting to live on Okinawa and have Yanbaru National Park as a backyard because it is home to numerous endemic, undiscovered species. For taxonomists, the Ryukyu Islands are an alluring playground thanks to their abundance of species that are unique to the islands.
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What Is A Weevil?
According to Britannica, weevils are sometimes known as a snout beetle. They belong to the insect family Coleoptera (beetles and weevils). The antennae of most weevils are long, clearly elbowed, and may fold into prominent grooves on the snout. Many are incapable of flying, while others are skilled fliers.
With 50,000 species, weevils are the largest family of living things. Many of them are wood-borers rather than leaf-eaters, such as Cryptorhynchini, Molytini, and Zygopini, and others even cultivate fungi in their tunnels, like Platypodinae and various Scolytinae, per ScienceDirect. Most weevils are endophytic, even if they are largely phytophagous and related to angiosperm plants. Only a few feed solely on leaves and frequently do so as leaf miners.
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