Rhodobaenus LeConte

Anderson, Robert S., 2002, The Dryophthoridae of Costa Rica and Panama: Checklist with keys, new synonymy and descriptions of new species of Cactophagus, Mesocordylus, Metamasius and Rhodobaenus (Coleoptera; Curculionoidea), Zootaxa 80, pp. 1-94 : 77-78

Genus Rhodobaenus LeConte

Rhodobaenus LeConte 1876:332 . Homalostylus Chevrolat 1885:287 .

Type species: Curculio tredecempunctatus Illiger 1794:613 . By subsequent designation (Vaurie 1967:13).

This is a large tropical genus with approximately 100 species described. There are 41 species of Rhodobaenus known from Costa Rica and 28 from Panama with 26 shared between the two countries. The genus occurs from southern Canada to Argentina.

Rhodobaenus species lack a lateral line on the aedeagus. This is a synapomorphy shared with Cactophagus . Most Rhodobaenus species can be easily distinguised because tarsal article 5 (the claw­bearing article) is ventrally excavate at the middle of the apex and/or is bilamellate to a various extent; however, there are a few species in which the ventral surface of the article is unmodified. These latter species of Rhodobaenus are generally larger in size than most other Rhodobaenus and are usually entirely grey or black, some with dark velvety black markings or a pale colored "V" or "C" shaped marking on the elytra. Most Rhodobaenus species also tend to have a rostrum that is somewhat humped near the base.

Where known, species of Rhodobaenus are associated generally with Asteraceae ( Vaurie 1981) . Larvae are stem miners. Immature stages were described by Anderson (1948).