Cryptogam herbivory in Curculionidae (Coleoptera) from the sub- Antarctic Prince Edward Islands

Six weevil species belonging to the tribe Ectemnorhinini are found on the Prince Edward Islands. With the exception of Dusmoecetes similis, which feeds on angiosperms, all the species (Palirhoeus eatoni, Bothrometopus randi, Antarctonesiotes elongatus, Mesembriorrhinus brevis, Dusmoecetes marioni) are cryptogam feeders, often associated with bryophytes. This strategy probably evolved in response to the adverse conditions of the Pleistocene glaciations. -from Authors