Austromerope poultoni

Austromerope poultoni
Austromerope poultoni
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Mecoptera
Family:	Meropeidae
Genus:	Austromerope
Species:	A. poultoni
Binomial name
Austromerope poultoni Killington, 1933

The forcepfly Austromerope poultoni is one of only two representatives of the genus Austromerope (the other is the South American Austromerope brasiliensis), and the only member of the family Meropeidae in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is endemic to Western Australia, typically around 20mm long, with large forceps-like structures at the tail and two pairs of wings. Only adults and eggs from captured adults are known - no larval stage has been seen. It is found in a variety of habitats, including woodland, Jarrah forest, and sand plain vegetation.^[1][2]

References

1. Abbott, I., Burbidge, T., Wills, A. (2007). "Austromerope poultoni (Insecta, Mecoptera) in south-west Western Australia; occurrence, modelled geographical distribution and phenology". Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 90: 97–106.
2. Faithfull, M. J., J. D. Majer, and A. C. Postle (1985). "Some notes on the occurrence and seasonality of Austromerope poultoni (Mecoptera) in western Australia". Australian Entomological Magazine 12: 57–60.