NOTES ON FOSSIL CLEONINAE (COLEOPTERA: 
CURCULIONIDAE ) 1 
By John M. Kingsolver 
Illinois Natural History Survey 
Dr. Samuel H. Scudder probably described more species of North 
American fossil Rhynchophora than any other worker, yet he was 
not a specialist in the weevils. His monograph of the fossil Rhyn- 
chophora found in the middle Oligocene beds of Florissant, Colorado, 
however, is one of the most extensive treatments of any group from 
that site . 2 Whereas most fossil beetle species have been described 
on the basis of elytra, a high percentage of the Florissant weevils are 
preserved so that the dorsal or the lateral aspect of the whole speci- 
men is visible. In most examples from this site, according to the 
illustrations, the rostrum is well preserved, and even antennal and 
tarsal segments are intact but the body is usually compressed and 
distorted and parts are often disarranged. Details of the mouthparts 
are obliterated and the ventral surface of the body is seldom visible. 
In these latter two areas lie some of the critical characters needed 
for subfamilial and tribal differentiation in existing keys to extant 
forms of the Rhynchophora. 
There is a basis for comparison of the fossils with extant forms 
where the modern classifications of groups are based on the characters 
that happen to be well preserved in the fossil specimen. Fossil beetles, 
however, are seldom preserved in enough detail to be of much value at 
the specific level and in many cases at the generic level, except in 
amber. Unless some diagnostic structure is particularly well preserved 
in a specimen, most fossil beetles have not been of much value in 
taxonomic studies. 
Workers in the Rhynchophora should use caution in interpreting 
Scudder’s illustrations. If reference to any of his fossil species is 
contemplated, the type specimen or specimens should be checked, and 
decisions should be based upon this examination instead of upon the 
original description and illustration. 
Through the kindness of Dr. F. M. Carpenter, I was recently 
privileged to examine the type specimens of fossil species of Cleoninae 
1 This study was made possible by a travel grant from the Society of 
Sigma Xi. 
Manuscript received by the editor January 4-, 1962. 
2 Tertiary Rhynchophorus Coleoptera of the United States. U. S. Geological 
Survey Monographs, Vol. 21, 206 pp., 12 pis., Washington, 1893. 
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