Megadytes ducalis
| Megadytes ducalis | |
|---|---|
_Holotype_Brazil_(42556946761).jpg)
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| Holotype of Megadytes ducalis, housed in the Natural History Museum, London | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Dytiscidae |
| Genus: | Megadytes |
| Species: | †M. ducalis
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| Binomial name | |
| †Megadytes ducalis Sharp, 1882
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Megadytes ducalis is a
History
The first specimen of M. ducalis was collected in the 19th century from an unknown locality in Brazil and is kept at the Natural History Museum, London.[3] Rumors indicated it was found in the bottom of a canoe in the Amazon.[2]
In 2019, a study reported 10 additional specimens (including the first female of the species), all collected in the late 19th century, discovered incidentally in the
As a consequence of the lack of recent records, the
Morphology
Megadytes ducalis is a large and robust beetle with total length ranging from 42.9 to 47.4 mm (1.69–1.87 in). It is distinctly larger than congeners such as M. lherminieri and M. magnus, and not as broadly oval in shape as them. The two sexes of M. ducalis are externally similar, except for females being shiny without any signs of striae on the dorsal surface, and lacking protarsal disks and yellow setae on ventral surface of mesotarsomere I.[4]
Distribution
This species appears to have a restricted distribution in the
References
- ^ . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-94-017-9109-0.
- ^ a b c d Adriano Pereira Paglia (2007). Espécies ameaçadas da fauna brasileira: análise dos padrões e dos fatores de ameaça (PDF). Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
- ^ PMID 31716121.
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