Alcidodes erosa (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a new species from India feeding on Hopea erosa (Bedd.) Slooten, a critically endangered tree species of the Western Ghats

Alcidodes (Curculionidae) is a hyperdiverse group of weevils that pose a potential threat to various crop species, trees, and other plants. Through a combination of morphological and genetic analyses, we have identified a previously undescribed species of this genus, which we name Alcidodes erosa Mithun, Mahendiran & Pooja sp. nov. The validity of the new species is supported by both morphological and molecular data.

All known adult specimens were collected from the critically endangered tree species, Hopea erosa (Bedd.) Slooten (Dipterocarpaceae), which is endemic to the Western Ghats. A recent assessment by the IUCN indicates that fewer than 200 individuals of this tree species exist and it is estimated that approximately 78-82% of seed damage is caused by Alcidodes erosa.