Mecodema aberrans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mecodema aberrans |
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The Mecodema aberrans is a special type of ground beetle. It is found only in the South Island of New Zealand. This beetle is medium-sized, usually about 14.6 to 19.5 millimeters long. That's about the length of your thumbnail! It is also about 5.3 to 6.5 millimeters wide. This beetle lives in specific places, like the braided rivers in the Otago and Canterbury regions. It's part of a group of beetles that are very good at living in these unique river environments.
What Does It Look Like?
The Mecodema aberrans beetle has a body that can be different colors. Its top side (dorsal) is usually black. Its bottom side (ventral) is brown. Its legs might be a reddish-brown color.
Special Features
This beetle has some cool features that help it survive. For example, the bottom part of its body has many tiny hairs. These hairs help protect its belly from rubbing against rough surfaces. This is one way to tell this beetle apart from others.
Another way to identify M. aberrans is by looking closely at its wing covers. These are called elytra. On the elytra, there are tiny pits or marks called punctures. The size of these punctures on different lines (called striae) helps scientists tell this beetle from other similar Mecodema species.
