Kingdom Animalia Suborder Adephaga Species M. phyllisae Phylum Arthropoda Order Beetle | Class Insecta Family Meruidae Scientific name Meru phyllisae Rank Genus | |
Similar Aspidytidae, Jurodidae, Lepicerus, Cavognathidae, Decliniidae | ||
Meruidae is a recently described family of aquatic beetles in the suborder Adephaga, with only one genus and species, Meru phyllisae. This beetle species was first found in the early 1980s. At 0.8 mm, it is one of the smallest adephagan beetles in the world. A recent survey of aquatic beetles of Venezuela prove that Meru is most common during the wet season, when larger areas of granitic rock surface are covered with water film, which the adult beetles as well as the larvae inhabit.
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Etymology
The name Meruidae comes from the local Pemon people word for waterfall, meru. The beetle was given this name because it can being only found in cascading water.
Distribution
Meru phyllisae is only known from the natural cascading waterfalls in El Tobogán, Las Amazonas, Venezuela. Although it is remote location that is strongly protected, Venezuelan tourists visit the place because of its uniqueness, causing habitat degradation.