A MONOGRAPH OF THE PACHYRRHYNCHID GROUP OF 

 THE BRACHYDERIN^E, CURCULIONIDJE : PART I 



THE GENUS PACHYRRHYNCHUS GERMAR 



By W. SCHULTZE 



Entomologist, Bureau of Science, Manila 



INTRODUCTION 



The Pachyrrhynchides constitute the twelfth group of the 

 second tribe, or subfamily, Brachyderinae of Lacordaire; 1 they 

 are members of the large family Curculionidse and represent one 

 of the most highly specialized and remarkable groups of beetles 

 of the Austro-Malayan region. This group of snout beetles 

 has the largest representation in the Philippine Islands and 

 the species number fully one-third of all the curculionids of 

 this region. The peculiar general form of body and the splen- 

 didly rich and beautiful scale coloration in manifold designs 

 and markings have attracted the attention of naturalists that 

 have had the opportunity to observe these beetles in their native 

 haunts, as well as of entomologists in general. During my 

 residence of over twenty years in the Philippines and my ento- 

 mological rambles in various islands of the Archipelago the 

 pachyrrhynchids have always claimed my special attention. 



This rather isolated group of beetles offers many interesting 

 problems as well as great difficulties concerning identification 

 due to strong similarities of species in one genus or of species 

 belonging to different genera. Owing to inadequate descrip- 

 tions, particularly by some of the early writers, it seems advis- 

 able to treat the group in monographic form with full and 

 detailed descriptions. The large amount of correctly localized 

 material of this group at my disposal seems to be adequate 

 for this undertaking. 



I wish to express here my sincere thanks to all the friends 

 who have collected and contributed material pertaining to this 



*Hist. Nat. Insectes. Genera Coleopt. 6 (1863) 27. 



