Otiorhynchus (sometimes misspelled as Otiorrhynchus) is a large genus of weevils in the family Curculionidae. Many species of the genus, particularly the black vine weevil (O. sulcatus) and the strawberry root weevil (O. ovatus), are important pests, both as larvae and as adults. Larvae feed on plant roots. Adults are flightless with fused elytra and feed at night on plant foliage.Warner, R. E. & F. B. Negley. 1976. The genus Otiorhynchus in America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 78 (3): 240-262.Bright, D. E. & P. Bouchard. The Insects and Arachnids of Canada, Part 25: Coleoptera. Curculionidae. Entiminae. Weevils of Canada and Alaska. Vol. 2. Ottawa, NRC Research Press, 2008. . P. 111-131. In many species of the genus at least some races are polyploid and parthenogenetic, while the rest of the races and species are diploid and bisexual. Otiorhynchus weevils, particularly O. scaber, have been a popular subject for studies of the evolution of parthenogenesis. The genus is native to the Palearctic region. However, sixteen species were inadvertently introduced to North America and have become widespread there.
A number of species are troglobites, cave-dwelling animals that lack eyes.Hlavač, P. (2011). Endogean and cavernicolous Coleoptera of the Balkans. XI. Revision of the subgenus Troglorhynchus Reitter of the genus Otiorhynchus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Natura Croatica 20(1), 189–200.di Marco, C. and G. Osella. (2002). Otiorhynchus radjai sp. n. from Vis Island (Dalmatia, Croatia), and description of a new subgenus of Otiorhynchus Germar (Coleoptera, Curculionidae). Italian Journal of Zoology 69(3), 257–62.
There are over 1,500 species in this genus, which is divided into at least 110 subgenera.
Species
Selected species: Otiorhynchus alpicola Otiorhynchus arcticus Otiorhynchus armadillo Otiorhynchus atroapterus Otiorhynchus crataegi Otiorhynchus cribricollis Otiorhynchus cuneiformis Otiorhynchus dieckmanni Otiorhynchus frater Otiorhynchus gemmatus Otiorhynchus grischunensisGermann, C. (2010). Otiorhynchus (Nihus) grischunensis sp. n.—a new species of the O. rhilensis species group from the Swiss Alps (Curculionidae, Entiminae). Zootaxa 2368, 59–68. Otiorhynchus ligneus Otiorhynchus ligustici Otiorhynchus lugens Otiorhynchus magnanoiKeskin, B. (2007). A new species of the genus Otiorhynchus Germar, 1822 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) from Western Anatolia (Turkey). Zootaxa 1588, 63–68. Otiorhynchus meridionalis Otiorhynchus morio Otiorhynchus ovatus Otiorhynchus porcatus Otiorhynchus radjai Otiorhynchus raucus Otiorhynchus rhacusensis Otiorhynchus rugifrons Otiorhynchus rugosostriatus Otiorhynchus scaber Otiorhynchus sensitivus Otiorhynchus singularis Otiorhynchus sulcatus Otiorhynchus vehemens
References
Further reading
O'Brian, K. A touch of weevil. The Daily Telegraph 12 October 2002.