Palmopria S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978

Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew Richard, Biase, Alessio De, Antonini, Gloria, Mancini, Emiliano, Trizzino, Marco, Costantini, Lorenzo, Strika, Sirio, Lamanna, Francesco & Cerretti, Pierfilippo, 2009, Preliminary re-examination of genus-level taxonomy of the pollen beetle subfamily Meligethinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (2), pp. 341-504 : 486

42. Palmopria S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978

( Fig. 41 a )

Palmopria S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978: 303 , 312.

Type species. Microporum congolense Grouvelle, 1915: 107–108 (by original designation) [= Palmopria congolensis (Grouvelle, 1915) ].

Generic redescription and diagnosis. Inclusive species vary greatly in size (1.7–4.2 mm length), and share the combination of characters listed by ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA (1978) ( Fig. 41 a , from ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978).

Etymology. The generic name was derived from the combination of the Latin name ‘ palma ’ (= hand palm, and consequently also the frequently hand shaped leaves of most palm species), and Pria , a widespread genus of Meligethinae , which is indicative of the life history of inclusive species, i.e. associated at both larval and imaginal stages with male inflorescences of palms and the overall similarity of the genus to Pria . Gender feminine.

Biology. Members of Palmopria are strictly associated with male inflorescences of palms ( Arecaceae ), in particular the widespread oil palm, Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978), which is analogously observed in the related Microporodes from Madagascar.

Phylogenetic position. Available morphological data provide evidence of a likely sister-group relationship of Palmopria to Microporodes , with Lechanteuria being the likely sister group of this clade (ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978). Weaker relationships could also be postulated with members of Microporum s. l. No molecular data available.

Taxonomy and geographic distribution. This taxon includes three described species from tropical Africa (ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978).

Palmopria congolensis (Grouvelle, 1915) tropical Africa

Palmopria elaeidis S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978 tropical Africa

Palmopria tomentosa S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978 tropical Africa

Figures

Fig. 41. Microporodes S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978 and Palmopria S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978: a – P. elaeidis S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978; b–e – M. dispar (Murray, 1864). a, b – male habitus (a – length 2.5 mm; b – length 2.6 mm); c – ovipositor; d–e – male genitalia. Drawing a modified from ENDRÖDY-YOUNGA (1978); drawings c–e modified from COOPER (1974). Drawings c–e: refer to COOPER (1974) for scale.