Weevils and Bark Beetles (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea). Chapter 8.2

Abstract

We record 201 alien curculionoids established in Europe, of which 72 originate from outside Europe. Aliens to Europe belong to fi ve families, but four-fi fths of them are from the Curculionidae. Many families and subfamilies, including some species-rich ones, have few representatives among alien curculionoids, whereas some others are over-represented; these latter, Dryophthoridae, Cossoninae and specially Scolyti- nae, all contain many xylophagous species. T e number of new records of alien species increases continu- ously, with an acceleration during the last decades. Aliens to Europe originate from all parts of the world, but mainly Asia; few alien curculionoids originate from Africa. Italy and France host the largest number of alien to Europe. T e number of aliens per country decreases eastwards, but is mainly correlated with importations frequency and, secondarily, with climate. All alien curculionoids have been introduced acci- dentally via international shipping. Wood and seed borers are specially liable to human-mediated dispersal due to their protected habitat. Alien curculionoids mainly attack stems, and half of them are xylophagous. T e majority of alien curculionoids live in human-modifi ed habitats, but many species live in forests and other natural or semi-natural habitats. Several species are pests, among which grain feeders as Sitophilus spp. are the most damaging.