The Curculionidae of the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia (Insecta; Coleoptera)

Abstract

Nineteen species of weevils are reported from the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. Nine species are found throughout the coastal forest region from California north to Alaska or British Columbia. Three species are widespread throughout western North American forests. Four species are found on sand beaches from California north to British Columbia. One species is found in alpine areas from southern British Columbia north to Alaska and the Aleutian and Pribilof islands. Two species are introduced into North America from the Palearctic Region. Three additional species are reported from the islands but their occurrence was not confirmed and they are left as questionable records. Adult individuals of all known species from populations on the Queen Charlotte Islands do not appear structurally differentiated from individuals examined from representative localities elsewhere. Postglacial recolonization of the islands from a southern source area by all native lowland to montane species and from a northern source area by the sole alpine species appears to be the most parsimonious account for the origin of the weevil fauna. There is no evidence to suggest survival of any species in a Late Wisconsinan refugium as has been proposed elsewhere for a number of other animals and plants endemic to the Queen Charlotte Island archipelago.