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Abstract
Three taxonomic studies of West African Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) were undertaken to improve the state of knowledge of this important group in that region. The first work, based on the study of museum specimens, stabilized the specific epithet and fixed the taxonomic status and type locality for Rodolia iceryae Janson in Ormerod, 1887, an economically important coccinellid species found in Senegal and South Africa. The second project generated and summarized data from coccinellid holdings in the two largest insect collections in West Africa, in order to establish a preliminary inventory of West African Coccinellidae and to call attention to those museum resources. Finally, synthesizing available nomenclatural, taxonomic and distributional information of coccinellids and studying museum specimens of coccinellids in Europe, West Africa and the U.S., the third project established a current, comprehensive catalogue of West African Coccinellidae. The work presented herein constitutes the most significant progress ever made on the systematics of West African coccinellid fauna. It will facilitate future taxonomic and biological control programs in the region.