Weevils and Snout Beetles, Superfamily Curculionoidea

Weevils are odd-looking creatures, with their comically long snouts and seemingly misplaced antennae. But did you know theyre actually beetles, just like ladybugs and fireflies? Both weevils and snout beetles belong to the large beetle superfamily Curculionoidea, and share certain common habits and traits. Description: Its difficult to offer a general description for such a varied group of insects, but you can easily identify most weevils and snout beetles by an extended snout (actually called a rostrum or beak). A few groups within this superfamily, most notably the bark beetles, lack this feature, however. All but the primitive weevils have elbowed antennae, extending from the snout. Weevils and snout beetles have 5-segmented tarsi, but they appear 4-segmented because the fourth segment is quite small and obscured from view without careful inspection. Weevils and snout beetles, like all beetles, have chewing mouthparts. While it may appear by its shape that a weevils long snout is for piercing and sucking (like true bugs), it is not. The mouthparts are quite small and located at the end of the rostrum, but are designed for chewing. Most weevil and snout beetle larvae are white or cream in color, legless, cylindrical, and shaped like a C. They tend to burrow, whether in a host plant or other food source. Families in the Superfamily Curculionoidea: Classification within the superfamily Curculionoidea varies, with some entomologists dividing the group into just 7 families, and others using as many as 18 families. Ive followed the classification accepted by Triplehorn and Johnson (Borror and Delongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition) here. Family Nemonychidae – pine flower snout beetlesFamily Anthribidae – fungus weevilsFamily Belidae – primitive or cycad weevilsFamily Attelabidae – leaf-rolling weevils, thief weevils, and tooth-nosed snouth beetlesFamily Brentidae – straight-snouted weevils, pear-shaped weevilsFamily Ithyceridae – Ithycerus noveboracensis Family Curculionidae – snout beetles, bark beetles, ambrosia beetles, and true weevils Classification: Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – ColeopteraSuperfamily - Curculionoidea Diet: Nearly all adult weevils and snout beetles feed on plants, though they vary greatly in their preferences for eating stems, leaves, seeds, roots, flowers, or fruits. The primitive families of weevils (Belidae and Nemonychidae, primarily) are associated with gymnosperms, such as conifers. The larvae of weevils and snout beetles vary greatly in their feeding habits. Though many are plant feeders, they generally prefer dying or diseased plant hosts. Some weevil larvae are highly specialized feeders, with peculiar dietary habits. One genus (Tentegia, found in Australia) lives and feeds in marsupial dung. Some weevil larvae prey on other insects, like scale insects or the eggs of grasshoppers. Many weevils are serious pests of crops, ornamental plants, or forests, and have significant economic impact. On the other hand, because they feed on plants, some weevils can be used as biological control for invasive or noxious weeds. Life Cycle: Weevils and snout beetles undergo complete metamorphosis, like other beetles, with four life cycle stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Special Behaviors and Defenses: Because this is such a large and diverse group of insects with a broad range of distribution, we find quite a few unique and interesting adaptations among its subgroups. The leaf-rolling weevils, for example, have an unusual way of ovipositing. The female leaf-rolling weevil carefully cuts slits into a leaf, lays an egg at the leaf tip, and then rolls the leaf up into a ball. The leaf drops to the ground, and the larva hatches and feeds on the plant tissue, safe inside. Acorn and nut weevils (genus Curculio) bore holes into acorns, and place their eggs inside. Their larvae feed and develop inside the acorn. Range and Distribution: Weevils and snout beetles number about 62,000 species worldwide, making the superfamily Curculionoidea one of the largest insect groups. Rolf G. Oberprieler, an expert in weevil systematics, estimates the true number of existing species may be closer to 220,000. There are currently about 3,500 species known to inhabit North America. Weevils are most abundant and diverse in the tropics, but have been found as far north as the Canadian Arctic and as far south as the tip of South America. Theyre also known to inhabit remote ocean islands. Sources: Borror and Delongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd edition, edited by John L. Capinera.Beetles of Eastern North America, by Arthur V. Evans.Morphology and Systematics: Phytophaga, edited by Richard A. B. Leachen and Rolf G. Beutel.A World Catalogue of Families and Genera of Curculionoidea (Insects: Coleoptera), by M. A. Alonso-Zarasaga and C. H. C. Lyal, Entomopraxis, 1999 (PDF). Accessed online November 23, 2015.

Steroids Damage both Athletes and Sports Essay - 885 Words

Athletes have passed or failed many tests in their life time. Either on the field or off the field it’s safe to say it would be better if they pass. Failing a test in the class room just means a bad grade. Failing a test in the sports world means an athlete can lose their job, get suspended, lose money, and lose their loyal fans and much more. Athletes can be drug tested for basically anything whether it is illegal drugs or performance enhancing drugs. Steroids are obviously the most well known drug in sports. There are three different types of steroids. Anabolic steroids are chemically derived from testosterone. They are seen in growth and thickening of the body’s non-reproductive tract tissues and have a decrease in body fat.†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Roughly 100 players tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003, the first year of testing.† (Tomase par 2) Of those 100 names that tested positive, one very important name that sti cks out is Barry Bonds. 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Medical Assistant Career Paper Free Essays

The medical assistant profession offers numerous benefits. They include the opportunity to work in a helping profession, the potential for competitive wages and advancement, and generous benefit packages. Benefits for medical assistants vary based on the employer. We will write a custom essay sample on Medical Assistant Career Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assistants’ responsibilities vary, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty. One of the biggest benefits of working as a medical assistant is the reward of helping patients who are hurting or undergoing treatments o have a positive experience. Medical assistants perform a wide variety of administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. Another benefit of working as a medical assistant is a steady annual salary. The salary can range between $25,000 and $30,000 depending on the employer and type of medical assistant position. General assistants in surgical hospitals may earn more than assistants in outpatient care centers and smaller physician offices, according to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many people use the medical assistant position to advance in the medical field. The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics explains that medical assistants can advance through working experience and additional training. This can include training to becoming a nurse or another type of health-care worker, or an office manager. A medical assistant may interact with many different patients during a single day. This can include patients of all ages, including the elderly and children. Being familiar with different cultures and nationalities can help the medical assistant ake the experience more comfortable for patients of different backgrounds. Medical assistants also usually will get a set of paid benefits on the Job. This package can include a health plan, vision plan for glasses and contacts, dental insurance, general discounts in the medical office, paid vacation, pension and retirement plan, 401 k matching and free continuing education. All of these benefits may not be available in all workplaces. More benefits may be available to medical assistants working in hospitals. How to cite Medical Assistant Career Paper, Papers