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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Scorpionflies, Hangingflies, and Allies (Mecoptera) » Forcepflies (Meropeidae) » Merope » Forcepfly (Merope tuber)
Photo#12139
Merope tuber - Forcepsfly or Earwigfly - ventral view - Merope tuber - male
Copyright © 2005 David Bree

Merope tuber - Forcepsfly or Earwigfly - ventral view - Merope tuber - Male
Petroglyphs Prov. park near Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
August 17, 2004
Size: about 10mm
The ventral view of this species shows the remarkably large male claspers.

Images of this individual: tag all
Merope tuber - Forcepsfly or Earwigfly - dorsal view - Merope tuber - male Merope tuber - Forcepsfly or Earwigfly - ventral view - Merope tuber - male
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Contributed by David Bree on 1 March, 2005 - 11:00am
Last updated 6 November, 2005 - 11:38am

Forcepsfly
interestling looking bug...I'd like to find one of these too, but that sound unlikely from your statement on the other photo. Did your book say what they use those claspers for?
… Lynette Elliott, 3 March, 2005 - 9:42am login or register to post comments

 
Forcepsfly Claspers
I've no info on the claspers as such but since they are only present on the male I would assume they have a mating significance - capturing and holding a female, or considering the size perhaps they are used like deer antlers to attract a mate by showing fitness and/or even tussle with a rival male. All things imaginable and even some that are not seem to be possible in the insect world.
… David Bree, 3 March, 2005 - 10:36am login or register to post comments

 
Apparently...
...mating has never been observed for this species. There is an SEM photo of the claspers in the current (summer 2007) issue of American Entomologist (vol. 53, no. 2).
… Ted C. MacRae, 29 June, 2007 - 11:28am login or register to post comments

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