Texamaurops

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Superfamily: Staphylinoidea
Family: Staphylinidae
Subfamily: Pselaphinae
Supertribe: Batrisitae
Genus: Texamaurops

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Texamaurops: /tɛksaʊˈmaʊɹɒps/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Texamaurops reddelli - Stovepipe Cave by Piershendrie. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Summary

Texamaurops reddelli, the Kretschmarr Cave mold beetle, is a small, endangered beetle found in a few select caves in Texas, facing numerous habitat threats primarily due to urban development and invasive species.

Physical Characteristics

Less than 1/8 inch long, body color ranges from dark purple to light reddish-brown, sparsely and weakly dotted with small pits, short wings, long legs.

Identification Tips

Distinguishable from other Pselaphinae beetles only through microscopic study of ocular knobs on the head.

Habitat

Lives under rocks and logs, in sinkholes, rotting wood, termite nests, and caves, primarily in total darkness.

Distribution

Known to exist in a few caves in the Edwards Plateau, Travis County, Texas.

Diet

Feeds on small organisms that inhabit its cave environment, likely including detritus and other organic matter.

Life Cycle

Little is known; reproduction may occur at any time of the year depending on stable conditions in the cave.

Reproduction

No distinct pattern; reproduction occurs whenever conditions are favorable within the cave environment.

Predators

Threatened by invasive species such as red fire ants, which prey on adults, nymphs, and eggs.

Conservation Status

Listed as endangered since September 16, 1988.

Ecosystem Role

As a troglobite, it plays a role in the cave ecosystem, contributing to the breakdown of organic material.

Evolution

Part of a group of specialized cave-dwelling invertebrates that likely evolved during the Pleistocene epoch due to climatic changes.

Similar Taxa

Texella reddelli
Texella reyesi
Tartarocreagris texana
Neoleptoneta myopica
Rhadine persephone
Batrisodes texanus

Misconceptions

Often not recognized due to its secretive nature, leading to underestimation of its population.