ColeopteraCurculionidae – Snout and Bark Beetles

Gerstaeckeria knullorum

This record describes Gerstaeckeria knullorum (species). Recorded family: Curculionidae. Recorded order: Coleoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Gerstaeckeria knullorum - Gerstaeckeria knullorum — Contributed by Mike Quinn

Type Locality: Holotype, female, Huachuca Mts., Ariz. VIII-12-50, DJ & JNK. in (OSU). DJ & JNK found this insect in large numbers on the light colored walls of a cabin in Miller Canyon, Huachuca Mtns., Ariz.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder: Polyphaga
Superfamily: Curculionoidea
Family: Curculionidae (Snout and Bark Beetles)
Subfamily: Cryptorhynchinae
Tribe: Cryptorhynchini
Genus: Gerstaeckeria (Cactus Weevils)

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Geographic Range

AZ, TX - Map (Sleeper 1954),(GBIF)

Additional species information

Species notes from the sources

Etymology: Patronym for Professor and Mrs. J. N. Knull whose annual collecting trips to the Southwestern United States have added much to our knowledge of the insect fauna of that region. (Sleeper 1954)

About Primitive Winged Insects: the wider group

Order-level background for Coleoptera, the group containing Gerstaeckeria knullorum. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Coleoptera is the largest order of insects with over 400,000 described species, representing ~25% of all known animal species and ~40% of all insects. In the U.S. alone, nearly 30,000 beetle species have been identified.

Ecological role of the group

Beetles are prominent decomposers, especially in forests, breaking down dead wood and recycling nutrients. As predators, they reduce populations of pest insects. Many species are also important pollinators of flowering plants.

Economic and practical significance of the group

Beetles have major economic significance: leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and weevils (Curculionoidea) are among the most destructive agricultural pests globally, costing billions annually, while predatory species like ladybugs provide natural pest control.

Recorded sources for this group: Britannica, Smithsonian, NCSU Entomology. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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