Rhinoncomimus latipes

Rhinoncomimus latipes, the mile-a-minute weevil, is a species of weevil in the family of beetles known as Curculionidae.[1][2]

Rhinoncomimus latipes
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Curculionidae
Genus: Rhinoncomimus
Species:
R. latipes
Binomial name
Rhinoncomimus latipes
Korotyaev

Lifecycle

Rhinoncomimus latipes is highly co-evolved with its host plant (Persicaria perfoliata or Polygonum perfoliatum), commonly known as mile-a-minute or Asiatic tearthumb, and has only been found to successfully reproduce on mile-a-minute.[3] Adults overwinter in leaf litter and emerge early in spring to feed on leaves and mate.[4] Female R. latipes lay eggs preferentially on the compact flowering head of the plant, a tender location that allows larvae to easily bore into the stem. After 3-5 days, larvae emerge and bore into the stem to feed and develop. Stem boring and internal feeding by larvae significantly reduces the growth and reproductive ability of P. perfoliata. [5] Fully grown larvae drop into the soil to pupate and emerge as adults by climbing up nearby stems, approximately one month after egg laying. Three to four overlapping generations can occur during a growing season.

Use in Weed Biocontrol

Originally from Asia, Rhinoncomimus latipes was intentionally introduced in North America in 2004 to control mile-a-minute, which is invasive in several Northeast US states.[6] Rhinoncomimus latipes has been effective thus far at controlling mile-a-minute populations where it has been released, strongly preferring mile-a-minute as a host to nontarget native plants, but travels slowly. R. latipes has a dispersal rate of approximately 4.3 km/yr from release points.[7] R. latipes has been released by hand and aerially from UAs in "bug pods" in hard-to-access locations.[8]

Mile-a-minute weevil, Rhinoncomimus latipes
Mile-a-minute weevil, Rhinoncomimus latipes
Recently emerged adult. It turns reddish orange from plant sap after feeding several days.

References
  1. "Rhinoncomimus latipes species details". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  2. "Rhinoncomimus latipes Species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  3. Cornell U. Biological Control. Rhinoncomimus latipes
  4. Colpetzer, K., J. Hough-Goldstein, K. R. Harkins, and M. T. Smith. 2004a. Feeding and oviposition behavior of Rhinoncomimus latipes Korotyaev (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and its predicted effectiveness as a biological control agent for Polygonum perfoliatum L. (Polygonales: Polygonaceae). Environ. Entomol. 33: 990–996.
  5. Smith, J. R., and J. Hough-Goldstein. 2014. Impact of herbivory on mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata) seed production and viability. Biol. Contr. 76: 60–64.
  6. Cornell U. Biological Control. Rhinoncomimus latipes
  7. Hough-Goldstein, J., M. A. Mayer, W. Hudson, G. Robbins, P. Morrison, and R. Reardon. 2009. Monitored releases of Rhinoncomimus latipes (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a biological control agent of mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata), 2004–2008. Biol. Control. 51: 450–457.
  8. Park, Y. L., S. Gururajan, H. Thistle, R. Chandran, and R. Reardon. 2018. Aerial release of Rhinoncomimus latipes (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to control Persicaria perfoliata (Polygonaceae) using an unmanned aerial system. Pest Manag. Sci. 74: 141–148.

Further reading
  • Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A.; Lyal, Christopher H.C. (1999). A World Catalogue of Families and Genera of Curculionoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera) (Excepting Scotylidae and Platypodidae). Entomopraxis. ISBN 84-605-9994-9.
  • Arnett, R.H. Jr.; Thomas, M. C.; Skelley, P. E.; Frank, J. H., eds. (2002). American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0849309540.
  • LeConte, J.L. (1861). Classification of the Coleoptera of North America. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. Vol. 3. Smithsonian Institution. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.38459. ISBN 0665100558.
  • O'Brien, Charles W.; Wibmer, Guillermo J. (1982). "Annotated checklist of the weevils (Curculionidae sensu lato) of North America, Central America, and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)". Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute (34).
  • White, Richard E. (1998) [1983]. A Field Guide to the Beetles of North America (Peterson Field Guides). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0395910897.


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