Taxonomic analysis confirms two Gonipterus species in Uruguay, indicating implications for eucalyptus forestry management.
The eucalypt snout beetle genus Gonipterus Schoenherr 1833 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) has been present in Uruguay since the 1930s, although the identity of the species remained uncertain. We confirm the presence of at least two species, G. platensis (Marelli, 1926) and G. pulverulentus Lea, 1897, using both morphological and mitochondrial COI analyses. Both species occur in commercial Eucalyptus plantation throughout the country. This represents the first molecular evidence of their coexistence in Uruguay, providing key information for future management and biological control programs in eucalypt forestry.
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Ferreira et al. (2026) studied this question.
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