Karocolens tuberculatus

Knolliger New Zealand Weevil ( Hadramphus tuberculatus )

The Knollige New Zealand Weevil ( Hadramphus tuberculatus, formerly Karocolens tuberculatus ) is an extremely rare beetles from the family of weevils ( Curculionidae ), is endemic in the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. He was 1922-2004 as extinct.

Description

The Knollige New Zealand Weevils is a flightless beetle with bulbous swellings on the back. It reaches a length of 11.7 to 16.3 millimeters and a width of 6.5 to 8.3 millimeters. The body is dark brown with gray- brown scales. It feeds on plant parts of the genus Aciphylla.

Status

This weevil was apparently in the 1870s in the Canterbury Plains more often. The reasons for his disappearance were probably the removal of its host plants by farmers as well as the arrival of rats in the region, which ate the beetles. He was last seen in 1922, to a copy of an entomologist of the Canterbury Museum in late 2004 was rediscovered at Burke 's Pass near Lake Tekapo. Currently, he is " threatened with extinction " listed in the Red Data Book of New Zealand in the category. In the IUCN Red List, he is yet to " extinct " in the category, because there has been no update since the collection of data for this type in 1996.