Ischnopterapion (Chlorapion) virens (Herbst, 1797)

Morris, Michael G., Sw, London & Dt, Dorset, 2011, The Apionidae (Coleoptera) of the Canary Islands, with particular reference to the contribution of T. Vernon Wollaston, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51 (1), pp. 157-182 : 179

Ischnopterapion (Chlorapion) virens (Herbst, 1797)

This weevil was brought forward as a Canaries species by LINDBERG & LINDBERG (1958) on a single example collected in La Palma. There are records from La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria ( MACHADO & OROMÍ 2000), but the species does not seem to be common in the islands. BRITO & OROMÍ (1986) gave several records, mostly of singletons, but described it as ‘abundant’. I have taken only one example myself, at El Camino de Chasna (Tenerife), November 2001. In western Europe I. virens feeds mainly on Trifolium spp. ; in Britain the host is usually T. repens , but this plant has been recorded only from Gran Canaria in the Canaries. BRITO & OROMÍ (1986) cited T. campestre , which occurs in all the islands, as a host; there are many other species of the genus in the Canary Islands.