| Display parents | 2 |
|---|---|
| Parent authority | Saunders, 1868 |
| Taxon | Merimna atrata |
| Authority | (Gory & Laporte, 1837) |
Merimna atrata is a species of beetle in the family Buprestidae, family Buprestinae, tribe Melanophilini and is the only species in the genus Merimna.[1][2] It is native to Australia. It is a pyrophilic species, preferentially laying its eggs in recently burned wood. Its body has infrared sensors which allows it to avoid landing on burning hot surfaces.[3]
References
- ^ Bellamy, C. L. (2013). "Genus Merimna". A Checklist of World Buprestoidea. Retrieved 7 Sep 2021.
- ^ "Genus Merimna". iNaturalist Luxembourg. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
- ^ Hinz, Marcel; Klein, Adrian; Schmitz, Anke; Schmitz, Helmut (2018-02-12). "The impact of infrared radiation in flight control in the Australian "firebeetle" Merimna atrata". PLOS ONE. 13 (2). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0192865. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 5809089. PMID 29432476