Book Review

Adventive Weevils Recorded from North America:
A Review and Illustrated Manual for their Identification
(Coleoptera: Curculionoidea, Excluding Scolytinae)

By E. Richard Hoebeke, James R. LaBonte, and Kent E. Loeffler

Edited by Robert S. Anderson and Matthew L. Gimmel

https://doi.org/10.1649/AVLN2093

A book review by Jennifer Girón

Everyday, *lots of* produce arrives at ports of entry in the United States. In 2023 alone, nearly 200 billion dollars were imported, partly in horticultural products. These commodities get inspected for foreign insects and other invertebrates that may threaten local agriculture and forestry. Weevils are only one of many of the groups of organisms that get flagged at ports of entry. Specimens or images are sent to identifiers or specialists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for identification. It is critical that these identifications are fast and accurate, since perishable goods need to be promptly delivered to their destination once they are cleared for entry.

One of the major challenges identifying weevils that arrive at ports of entry in the United States has been knowing what species are naturally distributed in the country, and which ones are adventive (not-native). The book "Adventive Weevils Recorded from North America: A Review and Illustrated Manual for their Identification (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea, Excluding Scolytinae)" by E. Richard Hoebeke, James R. LaBonte, and Kent E. Loeffler, tackles exactly that problem. It "provides a comprehensive and current synopsis of adventive species of the […] weevils reliably recorded from [...] continental USA and Canada".

The book starts with a series of definitions of the usage of terms throughout, all including rich references for further discussion. The authors follow by describing the methods they used for imaging: the book contains 226 color plates. Next is a morphology section illustrated by seven plates, all with relevant parts indicated, and followed by a concise morphological glossary. There is a discussion on the current classification status of Curculionoidea, including a list of the families, subfamilies, tribes, and subtribes (when applicable) where the species treated in the book belong.

To close the introductory sections, the authors summarize and analyze the information they provide across their entire treatment, including a table listing all the species covered, their classification, when they were recorded for the first time in North America, if known, their region of origin, status, and their presence in the US and Canada. They also outline the organization of each treatment throughout the book. For each species the authors provide common name, taxonomic and nomenclatural notes, diagnosis, distribution, host plants, and references. The authors even provide synopses for 19 genera that include three or more adventive species in the region of interest. For these the authors include taxonomic notes, diagnosis, North American taxa, world distribution, host range and habits, in addition to keys to immigrant and intentionally introduced species in North America, along with references.

The 219 full-page habitus plates that illustrate the book include dorsal and lateral views of the weevils, along with silhouettes to illustrate the real size of each species.

This book for sure constitutes the most comprehensive and up-to-date compendium for weevil identification available in the Americas. Its focus on adventive taxa makes it useful beyond the borders of North America, since quite a few species can be now characterized as globetrotters, as they have expanded their ranges across the world.

The book is 604 pages total, hardcover, glossy paper. It is the fifth special publication by The Coleopterists Society. It costs 120.00 USD for personal use, 220.00 for institutions, both price tags including shipping. The book can be purchased from The Coleopterists Society website: https://www.coleopsoc.org/publications/special-publications/special-publication-no-5/

Las updated October 24, 2024