Meru phyllisae (lat.) Is a species of small semi-aquatic beetles of the superfamily Ditiskoid , the only one in the monotypic genus Meru and the family Meruidae . South America : Venezuela (40 km south of Puerto Ayacucho ; 2 ° 14'N 63 ° 45'W, El Tobogán, Amasonas). The smallest water representatives of the suborder Adephaga [1] .
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| Meru phyllisae Spangler & Steiner, 2005 |
Description
The length of the oval body is 0.85-0.9 mm, the width is 0.38-0.41 mm. Coloring tan (sand). The formula of the joints of the legs: 5-5-5. Antennae 11-segmented, scape very short, almost invisible. The eyes are elliptical, located in the posterolateral part of the head. Antennas attach before the eyes. Claws are comb. Six visible sternites are distinguishable in the abdomen (the first three of them are merged into one with indistinct seams between them) [1] .
They live in fast cascading water flows and microfalls of streams and small rivers. Representatives of the families Dytiscidae ( Copelatus Erichson, Laccodytes Regimbart, Desmopachria Babington , various tribes of the tribe Bidessini ), Noteridae ( Notomicrus Sharp), Elmidae ( Cylloepus Erichson, Gyrelmis Hinton, Hetereldrema Shrena) live and gathered. orchymonti Perkins, Hydraena Kugelann), Hydrophilidae : Anacaena Thomson, Berosus Leach, Chaetarthria Stephens, Notionotus Spangler, Oocyclus Sharp, Phaenonotum Sharp), Hydroscaphidae ( Scaphydra Reichardt), Sphaeriusidae ( Sphaeriusidae ( Sphaeriusidarid ) Pholitha )
The larvae of Meruidae combine both the primitive and specialized state of some signs of the suborder Carnivorous beetles ( Adephaga ), and they are unique among all Adephaga in that they have asymmetric mandibles, the respiratory system is represented only by two pairs of spiracles (= oligopneustic ), claws are combed, abdominal sternitis VIII covers sternitis IX. Analysis of 18 characters of larvae showed that Meruidae represent the basal line in the superfamily Dytiscoidea . The genus Meru phyllisae Spangler & Steiner, 2005 and the family Noteridae are supposedly the sister treasure to the groups of the families Amphizoidae , Aspidytidae , Vodozhuki ( Hygrobiidae ), and Plavunets ( Dytiscidae ) [2] [3] [4], which diverged from them.
Etymology
The generic name Meru means "waterfall" in the local dialect of the Pemon Indians (living in the area of the Tepui table mountains with many waterfalls, including Angel ; Venezuela ). The species name is given in honor of Phyllis M. Spangler, a participant and collector of the model series of the new taxon of beetles for her great contribution and assistance in the long-term study of water beetles. Beetles were first found back in 1985 . The scientific description in 2005 was made by American entomologists Paul J. Spangler and Warren Steiner ( jr. ) From the National Museum of Natural History ( Smithsonian Institution , Washington , USA ) [1] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Spangler, Paul J .; Steiner, Warren E., jr. (2005). A new aquatic beetle family, Meruidae, from Venezuela (Coleoptera: Adephaga). - Systematic Entomology , 30 (3): 339-357. doi: 10.1111 / j.1365-3113.2005.00288.x
- ↑ Alarie, Y .; Short, AEZ; Garcia, M .; Joly, LJ (2011). Larval morphology of Meruidae (Coleoptera: Adephaga) and its phylogenetic implications. - Annals of the Entomological Society of America , 104 (1): 25–36. doi: 10.1603 / AN10054
- ↑ Balke, M., I. Ribera, R. Beutel, A. Viloria, M. Garcia, and AP Vogler. (2008). Systematic placement of the recently discovered beetle family Meruidae (Coleoptera: Dytiscoidea) based on molecular data. - Zool. Scr. 37: 647-650.
- ↑ Beutel, RG, M. Balke, and WE Steiner. (2006). The systematic position of Meruidae (Coleoptera, Adephaga) and the phylogeny of the smaller aquatic adephagan beetle families. - Cladistics, 22: 102-131. doi: 10.1111 / j.1096-0031.2006.00092.x
Literature
- Alarie, Y .; Short, AEZ; Garcia, M .; Joly, LJ (2011). Larval morphology of Meruidae (Coleoptera: Adephaga) and its phylogenetic implications. - Annals of the Entomological Society of America , 104 (1): 25–36. doi: 10.1603 / AN10054
- Spangler, PJ; Steiner, WE, jr. (2005). A new aquatic beetle family, Meruidae, from Venezuela (Coleoptera: Adephaga). - Systematic Entomology , 30 (3): 339-357. doi: 10.1111 / j.1365-3113.2005.00288.x PDF
Links
- Photo on zin.ru
- The tree of life web project
- Meruidae, New aquatic beetle family (Cornell University)
- Meruidae in Synopsis of the described Coleoptera of the World
- Catalogoflife.org
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility