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Cover article for Ecology and Evolution

March 30, 2021
3 views of the palm weevil Macrocheirus prob. praetor
Habitus of the Palm Weevil Macrocheirus prob.praetor Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Dryophthorinae), an Asian species associated with bamboo (Bambusa sp.). The subfamily includes more than 1200 species and some of the largest weevils in the world. The rostrum is used by the female to prepare the oviposition site deep within the plant. Counterclockwise: dorsal,lateral, and ventral views. Images taken and edited by Taina Litwak (USDA ARS SEL).

Now available in Ecology and Evolution: Brian, Bruno, and colleague M. Lourdes Chamorro's article "First phylogenetic analysis of Dryophthorinae (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) based on structural alignment of ribosomal DNA reveals Cenozoic diversification."

"Dryophthorinae is an economically important, ecologically distinct, and ubiquitous monophyletic group of pantropical weevils with more than 1,200 species in 153 genera. This study provides the first comprehensive phylogeny of the group with the aim to provide insights into the process and timing of diversification of phytophagous insects, inform classification and facilitate predictions. ...

We find a large gap between the divergence of Dryophthorinae from their sister group Platypodinae in the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary and the diversification of extant species in the Cenozoic, highlighting the role of coevolution with angiosperms in this group."

Read more about this research in Publications