Mecodema facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mecodema |
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| Mecodema by Des Helmore | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Carabidae |
| Subfamily: | Broscinae |
| Tribe: | Broscini |
| Genus: | Mecodema Blanchard, 1853 |
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Mecodema is a group of large, flightless ground beetles. These beetles are special because they are endemic to New Zealand, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world!
Compared to other ground beetles in New Zealand, Mecodema has many different types, or species. You can find them all over New Zealand, from the North Island to the South Island. They also live on many smaller islands nearby, like the Three Kings Is., Poor Knights Is., Great Barrier Is., Little Barrier Is., Kapiti Is., Stephens Is., Stewart Is., Chatham Is., and Snares Is..
What do Mecodema beetles look like?
Mecodema beetles have some cool features that help them survive.
- Head: Their heads often have a rough or bumpy surface. They have big, round eyes that stick out.
- Mouthparts: Their mandibles (jaws) are large and curved, perfect for grabbing food. They also have special feelers called palpi near their mouths.
- Antennae: Their antennae are made of many segments. The first few segments are smooth, and others have tiny hairs.
- Body: The main part of their body (called the prothorax) has a clear edge and a line down the middle. Their wing covers (elytra) always have grooves or stripes.
- Wings: A very important fact about Mecodema beetles is that their wing covers are fused together. This means they cannot fly! They don't have hind wings.
- Legs: Their legs are thin. The front legs have a special shovel-like shape at the end, which might help them dig. Both male and female beetles have similar feet (tarsi).
The first Mecodema species ever described was Mecodema sculpturatum by Émile Blanchard in 1853.
Many Types of Mecodema
There are over 100 known species and subspecies of Mecodema beetles! Here are some of them:
- Mecodema aberrans (Putzeys, 1868)
- Mecodema allani Fairburn, 1945
- Mecodema alternans Laporte de Castelnau, 1867
- Mecodema alternans hudsoni Broun, 1909
- Mecodema angustulum Broun, 1914
- Mecodema antarcticum (Laporte de Castelnau, 1867)
- Mecodema aoteanoho Seldon & Leschen, 2011
- Mecodema argentum Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema atrox Britton, 1949
- Mecodema atuanui Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema brittoni Townsend, 1965
- Mecodema bullatum Lewis, 1902
- Mecodema chaiup Seldon, 2015
- Mecodema chiltoni Broun, 1917
- Mecodema constrictum Broun, 1881
- Mecodema costellum Broun, 1903
- Mecodema costellum gordonense Broun, 1917
- Mecodema costellum lewisi Broun, 1908
- Mecodema costellum obesum Townsend, 1965
- Mecodema costipenne Broun, 1914
- Mecodema crenaticolle Redtenbacher, 1868
- Mecodema crenicolle Castelnau, 1867
- Mecodema curvidens (Broun, 1915)
- Mecodema ducale Sharp, 1886
- Mecodema dunense Townsend, 1965
- Mecodema dunnorum Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema dux Britton, 1949
- Mecodema elongatum Castelnau, 1867
- Mecodema femorale Broun, 1921
- Mecodema florae Britton, 1949
- Mecodema fulgidum Broun, 1881
- Mecodema genesispotini Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema godzilla Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema gourlayi Britton, 1949
- Mecodema haunoho Seldon & Leschen, 2011
- Mecodema hector Britton, 1949
- Mecodema howitti Castelnau, 1867
- Mecodema huttense Broun, 1915
- Mecodema impressum Castelnau, 1867
- Mecodema infimate Lewis, 1902
- Mecodema integratum Townsend, 1965
- Mecodema jacinda Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema kipjac Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema kokoroiho Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema kokoromatua Seldon, Leschen & Liebherr, 2012
- Mecodema laeviceps Broun, 1904
- Mecodema laterale Broun, 1917
- Mecodema litoreum Broun, 1886
- Mecodema longicolle Broun, 1923
- Mecodema lucidum Castelnau, 1867
- Mecodema manaia Seldon & Leschen, 2011
- Mecodema metallicum Sharp, 1886
- Mecodema minax Britton, 1949
- Mecodema mohi Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema moniliferum (Bates, 1867)
- Mecodema morio (Castelnau, 1867)
- Mecodema ngaiatonga Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema ngaitahuhu Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema nitidum Broun, 1903
- Mecodema oblongum (Broun, 1882)
- Mecodema oconnori Broun, 1912
- Mecodema oregoides (Broun, 1894)
- Mecodema papake Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema parataiko Seldon & Leschen, 2011
- Mecodema pavidum Townsend, 1965
- Mecodema perexiguus Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema persculptum Broun, 1915
- Mecodema pluto Britton, 1949
- Mecodema politanum Broun, 1917
- Mecodema ponaiti Seldon & Leschen, 2011
- Mecodema proximum Britton, 1949
- Mecodema puiakium Johns & Ewers in Johns, 2007
- Mecodema pulchellum Townsend, 1965
- Mecodema punctatum (Laporte de Castelnau, 1867)
- Mecodema punctellum Broun, 1921
- Mecodema puncticolle Broun, 1915 [?=Mecodema sculpturatum Blanchard, 1843]
- Mecodema quoinense Broun, 1912
- Mecodema rectolineatum Laporte de Castelnau, 1867
- Mecodema regulus Britton, 1964
- Mecodema rex Britton, 1949
- Mecodema rugiceps Sharp, 1886
- Mecodema rugiceps anomalum Townsend, 1965
- Mecodema rusticulus Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema scitulum Broun, 1894
- Mecodema sculpturatum Blanchard, 1843
- Mecodema simplex Castelnau, 1867
- Mecodema spiniferum Broun, 1880
- Mecodema striatum Broun, 1904
- Mecodema strictum Britton, 1949
- Mecodema temata Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema tenaki Seldon & Leschen, 2011
- Mecodema teparawhau Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema teroroa Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema tewhara Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema tibiale (Laporte de Castelnau, 1867)
- Mecodema tuhoe Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema undecimus Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema validum Broun, 1923
- Mecodema wharekahika Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema xylanthrax Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema yconomus Seldon & Buckley, 2019
- Mecodema zonula Seldon & Buckley, 2019
See also
In Spanish: Mecodema para niños
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Mecodema Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.