Merogyrus
Gordon & Skelley, 2007
Species Guides
1Merogyrus is a of scarab beetles in the Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae, described by Gordon and Skelley in 2007. It belongs to the tribe Aphodiini, a group commonly known as small dung beetles. The genus is currently known from the Nearctic region. As a recently described and poorly documented genus, few -level details have been published.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Merogyrus: //mɛˈroʊdʒɪrəs//
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Identification
Members of Merogyrus can be distinguished from related aphodiine by asymmetrical male genitalia, a diagnostic feature noted in the original description. The genus name references this trait: "mero-" (part) and "gyrus" (circle/turn), alluding to the asymmetrical . Further diagnostic characters require examination of and original taxonomic literature.
Distribution
Nearctic region (North America). Distribution records are sparse due to limited documentation and few observations.
Similar Taxa
- Aphodiini (tribe)Merogyrus is distinguished from other Aphodiini by asymmetrical male genitalia; most related genera have symmetrical .
More Details
Taxonomic history
The was erected in 2007 to accommodate previously misplaced in other aphodiine genera. The type species and number of included species are not readily accessible in standard databases.
Data gaps
No observations are recorded in iNaturalist, and GBIF holds minimal distribution data. The appears to be rarely collected or underreported in ecological surveys.