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The biology and host plants of the Australian weevil Rhinotia haemoptera (Kirby)

Paper No: 183

Abstract: The biology and host plants of the Australian belid weevil, Rhinotia haemoptera (Kirby) are reviewed from both the literature and previously unpublished observations. The species, although widespread, is uncommon to rare throughout its range where it occurs in dry sclerophyll forests and associated woodlands. The known larval host plants are Acacia decurrens (Wendl.) Willd., A. elongata Sieb. ex DC., A. obtusifolia A. Cunn., A. pubescens (Vent.) R. Br., A. suaveolens (Sm.) Willd. and A. terminalis (Salisb.) MacBride (Mimosaceae). All of these larval host plants have been recorded from New South Wales. The adults feed on the foliage or branchlets of various Acacia species, but have also been purported to visit nectar-bearing flowers of Bursaria (Pittosporaceae), Angophora and Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) and Hakea (Proteaceae); these latter observations need confirmation. Various ecological characteristics of the beetle, such as the ability to occupy highly seasonal regions, general spatial patchiness of resident populations within a region, dispersal ability of adults, habitat selection, colonizing ability, abundance of food plants, predation/parasitism, escape mechanisms, Batesian mimicry are all reviewed and discussed.

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