Texas Beetle Information

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Ebony Bruchid

Merobruchus major (Fall)

Family Chrysomelidae, Subfamily Bruchinae, Tribe Bruchini

(female ovipositing on an Ebony pod, Pithecellobium ebano)

Santa Ana NWR
Alamo, Hidalgo Co., TX
1998 (M Quinn)

Texas County Records for Merobruchus major

County Record Data from E.G. Riley, Nov. 2005

Pithecellobium ebano specimens in the MBG

Map Source: Missouri Botanical Garden's VAST database

Range of the Ebony Bruchid likely mirrors the range of it's host.

Range: South Texas, Mexico

Host: Restricted to Texas Ebony - Pithecellobium ebano - Family Mimosaceae

Similar Species:

Species of Merobruchus range from the southwestern United States to southern Brazil and Argentina, including Mexico, Central America and the West Indies. There are eight species of Merobruchus occurring in Florida and the southwestern U.S.

Texas Taxa:

Merobruchus julianus (Horn)
Merobruchus major (Fall)
Merobruchus placidus (Horn)

Syntype Specimen:

Original combination: Bruchus major Fall
Current name: Merobruchus major (Fall)

References:

Arnett, R.H., Jr., M.C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley & J.H. Frank. (editors). 2002. American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press. 861 pp.

Kingsolver, J.M. 1988. Biosystematics of the genus Merobruchus of the continental North America and the West Indies. ARS. United States Department of Agriculture, Tech. Bull. No. 1744. 63 pp.

Johnson, C.D. & D.H. Siemens. 1997. Oviposition behavior, guilds, host relationships and new host and distribution records for the genus Merobruchus Bridwell (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). Coleopterists Bulletin. 51(1): 13-21.

Southgate, B.J. 1979. Biology of the Bruchidae. Annual Review of Entomology, 24: 449-473.