Merope
Newman, 1838
earwigfly, forcepfly
Merope is a of () in the , commonly known as or forcepflies. The genus contains Merope tuber, the only living member of Meropeidae in North America. Males possess large segmented -like that resemble the of . The family is exceptionally rare, with only three extant described worldwide, and the stages remain unknown to science.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Merope: /ˈmɛrəpiː/
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Images
Habitat
Merope tuber occurs in woodland, Jarrah forest, and sand plain vegetation. The has been found in forest fragments and areas with ground cover suitable for ground-dwelling .
Distribution
Merope tuber occurs throughout eastern North America from Ontario to Georgia, west to Kansas, and has been recorded in Florida. The has a disjunct distribution, with the related Austromerope found in the Neotropical region (Brazil), suggesting a relict Gondwanan distribution pattern.
Life Cycle
The stages of Merope remain unknown. are and appear to live on the ground.
Behavior
are and ground-dwelling. Males are capable of , producing sound by rubbing certain body parts. The function of the prominent male is unknown but has been hypothesized to play a role in courtship.
Similar Taxa
- AustromeropeBoth belong to and share the forcepfly with large male genital ; Austromerope is found in the Neotropical region (Brazil) while Merope is Nearctic
- BittacusBoth are in (), but Bittacus ( , ) has elongated held roof-like over the body and hind legs for catching , lacking the forcep-like male of Merope
More Details
Phylogenetic significance
The discovery of Austromerope in Brazil represented the first Neotropical record of , supporting the hypothesis that the originated before and diverged into northern and southern branches with the breakup of Pangea. This makes Meropeidae a classic example of a relict family with a Gondwanan distribution.
Taxonomic rarity
With only three extant described across two (Merope and Austromerope), is one of the smallest and least diverse of , despite its wide geographic separation between North and South America.