Curculionidae is the family of the "true" weevils (or "snout beetles"). In 1998 it was recognized as the largest animal family, with over 40,000 species described worldwide at that time.[1] Today, it is still one of the largest known. They are recognized by their distinctive long snout and geniculate antennae with small clubs; beyond that, curculionids have considerable diversity of form and size, with adult lengths ranging from 1 to 40 millimetres (0.04 to 1.57 in). Weevils are almost entirely plant feeders, and most species are associated with a narrow range of hosts, in many cases only living on a single species. With so many species to classify and over 400 genera, the taxonomy of this family is quite complicated, and authors disagree on the number and placement of various subfamilies, tribes and subtribes. The word "weevil" has been made famous by the boll weevil, which lays its eggs and feeds inside cotton bolls, ruining the crop.
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaria
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Curculionidae (Latreille, 1802)
Diversity: Some 20 subfamilies
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