Weevils - Entomological Society of Canada

Rhynchites ruficollis Germar, 1824:188 (type, 'America boreali";
Zool. Mus, Halle).
E ug namp tu s s ulcifron s Gyllenhal, 1 83 9 : 343 (type, " Carolina" ; type
lost).
E ugnamptu s collari s fu s cip e s P ier ce, 1 9 1 3 : 368 (type, Detroit, Mich. ;
USNM).
Eugnamptus collaris nigripes Pierce, 1913:368 (no type material
mentioned).
Eugnamptus collaris ruficeps Pierce, 1913:369 (type, Texas;
USNM).
Eugnamptus collaris abdominulis Voss, l94I:747 (type, "Carolina";
ZMHU).
Description. Length 2.5-4.4 mm (head excluded). Body reddish
brown to black; pronotum sometimes light red or reddish brown; legs
light brown or reddish. Head convex at upper level of eyes; surface
punctured, the punctures widely separated, very small, and weakly
impressed. Rostrum arcuate, about as long as pronotum (female) or
shorter than pronotum (male); rostrum, in dorsal view, with sides
parallel from eyes to antennal insertion, divergingbeyond; surface as on
head, except more pubescent beyond antennal insertion. Pronotum 1.1
times longer than wide, widest at middle; sides moderately arcuate,
converging to truncate apex; disc with fairly large, shallow, round
punctures; interpuncture spaces smooth, shining. Elytra 1.8 times
longer than wide, about twice as wide as pronotum; striae distinct, not
impressed, with round, moderate-sized, impressed punctures;
interstriae much wider than striae, flat; strial and interstrial punctures
each with 1 long, erect hair-like seta.
Distribution. Southern Ontario, south through the eastern
United States to Florida and Texas, west to Kansas, Nebraska, and
South Dakota. Ontario: Grand Bend, La Salle, Leamington, Pelee
Island, Port Rowan, and Walsingham.
Comments. This species is unique in the Canadian fauna and can
be easily recognized by the characters given above and by the
illustration (Fig. 8). In recent literature this species is treated under the
name ,8. collaris. O'Brien and Wibmer (1982) resurrected the name
E. angustatas, which is usually listed in synonymy under E. collaris.
Pierce (1913) proposed a number of color varities of this species, all of
which are now regarded as synonyms. Hamilton (1980) gives notes on
the biolory of this species in Ohio. His observations are probably valid
for Canadian conditions. Males and females emerge in late May or early
June. They feed and mate on mature sassafras trees, feeding by
preference on young developing leaves. After mating, females move to
the ground and lay eggs in dead sassafras leaves. In the freld, dead
sassafras leaves seem to be the only kind used, but in the laboratory,
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