Anthribidae

a family of insects similar to the family Cur-culionidae. The body is terete and measures 1.7–40 mm long. There are approximately 2,200 species, found primarily in the tropics. More than 20 species are distributed in the USSR. The majority of these insects develop in dead wood. Species of the genus Brachytarsus are beneficial since they feed on the eggs of scale insects. The coffee-bean weevil (Araeocerus fasciculatus) is injurious to the seeds of various tropical plants, particularly cacao beans.