Preliminary re-examination of genus-level taxonomy of the pollen beetle subfamily Meligethinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) Author Audisio, Paolo Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell’Uomo, Sapienza Rome University, via A. Borelli, 50, I- 00161 Rome, Italy; e-mail: paolo. audisio @ uniroma 1. it Author Cline, Andrew Richard Plant Pest Diagnostics Center, California Department of Food and Agriculture, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, CA 95832 - 1448, USA; e-mail: acline @ cdfa. ca. gov Author Biase, Alessio De Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell’Uomo, Sapienza Rome University, viale Dell’Università, 32, I- 00185 Rome, Italy; e-mail: alessio. debiase @ uniroma 1. it Author Antonini, Gloria Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell’Uomo, Sapienza Rome University, via A. Borelli, 50, I- 00161 Rome, Italy; e-mail: paolo. audisio @ uniroma 1. it Author Mancini, Emiliano Dipartimento di Scienze di Sanità Pubblica, Sapienza Rome University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I- 00185, Rome, Italy; e-mail: emiliano. mancini @ uniroma 1. it Author Trizzino, Marco Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell’Uomo, Sapienza Rome University, via A. Borelli, 50, I- 00161 Rome, Italy; e-mail: paolo. audisio @ uniroma 1. it Author Costantini, Lorenzo Museo Nazionale d’Arte Orientale, Servizio di Bioarcheologia e Microscopia, via Merulana 248, I- 00185 Rome, Italy; e-mail: l. costantin @ mclink. it Author Strika, Sirio Museo Nazionale d’Arte Orientale, Servizio di Bioarcheologia e Microscopia, via Merulana 248, I- 00185 Rome, Italy; e-mail: l. costantin @ mclink. it Author Lamanna, Francesco Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell’Uomo, Sapienza Rome University, via A. Borelli, 50, I- 00161 Rome, Italy; e-mail: paolo. audisio @ uniroma 1. it Author Cerretti, Pierfilippo Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell’Uomo, Sapienza Rome University, via A. Borelli, 50, I- 00161 Rome, Italy; e-mail: paolo. audisio @ uniroma 1. it text Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 2009 2009-12-15 49 2 341 504 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.5319334 0374-1036 5319334 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