THE SOUTH-AMERICAN WEEVIL GENUS RHYEPHENES (COLEOPTERA, CURCULIONIDAE, CRYPTORHYNCHINAE)

The genus Rhyephenes Schoenherr, endemic to the Central Chilean and Su bantarctic biogeographic provinces of southern South America, is easil y recognized by its black body with shape resembling a spider. This ge nus includes seven species: Rhyephenes clathratus R. Philippi, R. gayi (Guerin), R. goureaui (Gay & Solier), R. humeralis (Guerin), R. later alis (Guerin), R. maillei (Gay & Solier), and R. squamiger F. Philippi (reinstated herein from synonymy with R. gayi). A key, redescriptions , habitus photographs, and illustrations of the species are provided, and their geographical distribution is mapped. A cladistic analysis us ing 21 characters from external morphology and male and female genital ia produced four cladograms (CI = 0.55, Ri = 0.51, length 43 steps), w hich after successive weighting were reduced to one cladogram (CI = 0. 82, RI = 0.85, length ill steps). In the cladogram, the following phyl ogenetic sequence results: (R. squamiger, (R, lateralis, ((R. clathrat us, R. goureaui), (R. gayi, (R. humeralis, R. maillei))))). Biogeograp hic patterns exhibited by these species indicate a sequence from centr al Chile to southern Chile and Argentina.