Rhynchophorus palmarum in Disguise: Undescribed Polymorphism in the "Black" Palm Weevil.

ABSTRACT: During studies to adapt pheromone trapping of Rhynchophorus palmarum to the special coconut growing conditions at the Colombian Pacific coast, 152 atypically-colored specimens were captured in a total collection of 53,802 of the normally completely black weevil. Five specimens had the typical coloration of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, an invasive species recently introduced to Aruba and Curação. A regional expansion of this invasion to the South American continent was feared and all atypical specimens were submitted to taxonomic analysis. Both conventional and molecular methods were employed. Conventional taxonomics confirmed the samples as belonging to R. palmarum but registered undescribed and species-atypical morphological variability in the subgular suture (wide vs. narrow), the ratio be

SUBMITTER: Lohr B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4684280 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature