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Luminary Oddities · Natural history & art

Schönherr’s Blue Weevil

Eupholus schoenherrii

Coleoptera / Curculionidae

Eupholus schoenherrii is a New Guinea weevil with blue-green scales and contrasting black bands on its wing covers. A short, broad snout and clubbed antennae complete its compact outline.

Read the species account
Eupholus schoenherrii, dorsal view
Schönherr’s Blue WeevilDorsal view.Illustration adapted from Ultraconserved elements (UCEs) resolve the phylogeny of Australasian smurf-weevils (2017), Figure 1 by Matthew H. Van Dam, Athena W. Lam, Katayo Sagata, Bradley Gewa, Raymond Laufa, Michael Balke, Brant C. Faircloth and Alexander Riedel. CC BY 4.0.

At a glance

Family ↘
A broad-nosed weevil in Curculionidae, subfamily Entiminae. [3]
Pattern ↘
Blue-green scales are interrupted by black transverse bands. [4]
Range ↘
Documented in New Guinea and adjacent islands. [2]

Identity and classification

Eupholus schoenherrii (Guérin-Méneville, 1838) belongs to Curculionidae, subfamily Entiminae and tribe Eupholini. [1][2][3]

Morphology and identification

The documented specimens carry blue to green scales on the head, thorax, wing covers and legs. Dark transverse bands interrupt the scaled wing covers. The snout is broad and relatively short; the elbowed antennae end in compact clubs. [4][3]

Distribution and habitat

The checklist records the nominal form in northern Papua New Guinea and West Papua, including the Arfak Range and Salawati Island. Its subspecies petiti is recorded farther west on Waigeo, Misool and the Aru Islands, as well as mainland West Papua. [2]

Feeding and host plants

Members of the schoenherrii species group feed on wild yams, Dioscorea. [3]

Nomenclature and history

The species name dates to Guérin-Méneville’s 1838 description. Riedel established its current combination in Eupholus Boisduval in 2002. [1][2]

Display and care

Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.

Sources and further reading

  1. Two new species of Eupholus Boisduval from West New Guinea, a discussion of their taxonomic characters, and notes on nomenclature ↗

    Alexander Riedel; Zootaxa 90, 1–16 (2002) · Accessed 2026-10-11

  2. An annotated checklist of weevils from the Papuan region ↗

    Gregory P. Setliff; Zootaxa 1536, 1–296 (2007) · Accessed 2026-10-11

  3. Ultraconserved elements (UCEs) resolve the phylogeny of Australasian smurf-weevils ↗

    Van Dam and colleagues; PLOS ONE 12(11), e 0188044 (2017) · Accessed 2026-10-11

  4. Sphaeroptica: A tool for pseudo-3 D visualization and 3 D measurements on arthropods ↗

    Mathys and colleagues; PLOS ONE 19(10), e 0311887 (2024) · Accessed 2026-10-11

Sources checked 2026-10-11. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.

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