Microporodes 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 : 484-486

41. Microporodes S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978

( Figs. 41 b–e )

Microporodes S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978: 303 , 311.

Type species. Mystrops dispar Murray, 1864: 413–414 (by original designation) [= Microporodes dispar ( Murray, 1864) ].

Generic diagnosis. The single known species (2.4–3.1 mm length, 1.1–1.4 mm width) exhibits the combination of characters listed by ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA (1978) ( Figs. 41 b–e ; drawings c–e from COOPER 1974, as Microporum dispar ).

Etymology. The generic name was derived from Microporum , a genus of Meligethinae from tropical Africa and Madagascar, being indicative of the partially similar external body shape of the two taxa. Gender masculine.

Biology. The single known representative of Microporodes , M. dispar from Madagascar, is associated with male inflorescences of palms ( Arecaceae ), in particular the widespread oil palm, Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (AUDISIO unpublished data), which is analogously observed in the related genus Palmopria from tropical Africa (ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978).

Phylogenetic position. Available morphological data provide evidence of a likely sister-group relationship of Microporodes to Palmopria , with Lechanteuria as the likely sister group to this clade (ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978). Weaker relationships may also be postulated with members of Microporum and Cornutopria .

KIREJTSHUK (1980b) suggested grouping together Microporodes , Palmopria , Lechanteuria , Cornutopria , Microporellus and Microporum within a single taxon of generic rank. We disagree with this simplified approach, but KIREJTSHUK (2008) recently modified his ideas on the matter, retaining only Microporellus as synonym of Microporum and suggesting a generic rank for all other above listed taxa. Actually, at least two main clades are recognizable within this complex of genera, the first clade including Microporodes , Palmopria and maybe also Lechanteuria (at least the first two taxa associated with male inflorescences of Arecaceae ), and a second clade including Microporum s.l. (including at least a couple of species likely associated with male inflorescences of Pandanaceae ), Cornutopria and Lucanopria gen. nov. (characterized by uncertain larval-host plants relationships) occupying an unclear phylogenetic position. No molecular data available for these genera.

Taxonomy and geographic distribution. The genus includes a single species from Madagascar (ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978).

Microporodes dispar ( Murray, 1864) Madagascar

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.