Lord Howe Island ground weevil (Hybomorpus melanosomus) - presumed extinct species listing

The Scientific Committee established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act has made a Final Determination to list the Lord Howe Island ground weevil, Hybomorpus melanosomus (Saunders & Jekel, 1885) as a SPECIES PRESUMED EXTINCT in Part 4 of Schedule 1 of the Act. Listing of species presumed extinct is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. Hybomorpus melanosomus (family Curculionidae) is a distinctive, large (male 15.5 mm long), flightless, ground dwelling beetle, which was found under logs and in rotten wood on Lord Howe Island. This species was endemic to Lord Howe Island.

2. Hybomorpus melanosomus is scarcely represented in Australian insect collections (9 specimens in all).  Hybomorpus melanosomus has not been collected since the end of the 19th century.

3. Hybomorpus melanosomus was considered to be possibly extinct, or at least extremely rare prior to the introduction of rats to Lord Howe Island in the early 20th century (Olliff, 1889).

4. There have been two intensive invertebrate surveys undertaken on Lord Howe Island over the last three decades and numerous visits to Lord Howe Island by other insect collectors and despite intensive searching, no specimens of Hybomorpus melanosomus were collected.

In view of the above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the Lord Howe Island ground weevil, Hybomorpus melanosomus (Saunders & Jekel, 1885) has not been definitely located in nature during the preceding 50 years despite searching of known and likely habitats during that period.

Proposed Gazettal date: 13/12/02
Exhibition period: 13/12/02 - 31/01/03

Reference 

Olliff, S. (1889) The insect fauna of Lord Howe Island. Aust. Mus. Mem. 2: 77-98.