Merdeths were a species of massive insectoid beings. These creatures were the dominant life form on the harsh surface of their homeworld, the planet of Geonosis. As omnivores, they consumed any type of organic material they could find, utilizing eight strong tentacles to drag their prey into their mouths. These immense merdeths shared a symbiotic bond with colonies of minuscule, parasitic mips. These mips sustained themselves on the ichor present within the merdeth's shell.
During 22 BBY, small hangars located around the Geonosian Stalgasin hive's droid deployment zones housed Geonosian fighters that stood ready to launch rapid assaults against the occasional roaming merdeth. The Galactic Empire sterilized the merdeth's planet around 9 BBY.
Within current Star Wars canon, the reference book Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know from 2015 was the first mention of merdeths. These creatures originated within the Star Wars Legends continuity. They were initially created for Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds, a 2004 supplement for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game produced by Wizards of the Coast.
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know (First mentioned)
- Star Wars: Complete Locations
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded
- " Geonosis and Other Planets in the Outer Rim " — Star Wars Encyclopedia