@article {8165,
	title = {Redescription of a weevil Paramecops sinaitus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae) from the Sinai and an ecological study of its interaction with the Sinai milkweed Asclepias sinaica (Gentianales: Asclepiadaceae)},
	journal = {European Journal of Entomology},
	volume = {104},
	number = {3},
	year = {2007},
	month = {July},
	pages = {505-515},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {We collected specimens of Paramecops sinaitus (Pic, 1930) (Curculionidae: Molytinae) from south Sinai in Egypt, which enabled us to make the first complete description of this species. We also include some taxonomic remarks on the genus. Paramecops solenostemmatis (Peyerimhoff, 1930) is a synonym of Paramecops sinaitus. We propose the new combination Paramecops sogdianus (Nasreddinov, 1978), based on Perihylobius sogdianus Nasreddinov, 1978, which would make Perihylobius and Paramecops synonymous. Like other Paramecops species, P. sinaitus appears to share a close interaction with Asclepiads, in this case the Sinai milkweed Asclepias sinaica (Boiss.) Muschl., 1912 (Asclepiadaceae). We investigated the oviposition behaviour of female weevils to test whether it is linked to larval performance, as predicted by coevolutionary theory. We found that female oviposition preference was positively related to plant size and to the volume of the seed follicles in which the eggs were laid. The survival of eggs was negatively related to plant size, perhaps due to plant differences in the production of defensive cardenolides. Larval survival was not related to plant size but increased with follicle volume, probably as a result of competition for food. Paramecops is relatively sedentary and nocturnal in its behaviour. Night-time observations of behaviour showed that weevils were more active at lower temperatures.},
	keywords = {Paramecops, Paramecops sogdianus},
	isbn = {1210-5759},
	author = {Newbold, Tim and M. Meregalli and Colonnelli, Enzo and Barclay, Maxwell and Elbanna, Shereen and Abu Fandud, Nancy and Flegg, Frank and Fouad, Rasha and Gilbert, Francis and Hall, Vanessa and Hancock, Claire and Ismail, Mona and Osamy, Samr and Saber, Isra{\textquoteright}a and Semida, Fayez and Zalat, Samy}
}
