Cave-adapted
Guides
Caecidotea racovitzai racovitzai
Caecidotea racovitzai racovitzai is a subspecies of freshwater isopod in the family Asellidae. It was originally described as Asellus racovitzai racovitzai by Williams in 1970. The subspecies is known from Vermont, United States. As a member of the genus Caecidotea, it inhabits freshwater environments.
Cirolanides
Cirolanides is a genus of eyeless isopods in the family Cirolanidae, first described by Benedict in 1896. The genus contains two species: C. texensis and C. wassenichae. Members are characterized by reduced visual structures and specialized appendages adapted for subterranean life. These crustaceans represent a lineage adapted to dark, aquatic habitats.
Cordulegaster
Golden-ringed Spiketails, Goldenrings, Spiketails
Cordulegaster is a genus of large dragonflies in the family Cordulegastridae, commonly known as golden-ringed dragonflies or spiketails. The genus contains approximately 30 described species distributed across North America, Europe, and Asia. Members are characterized by their distinctive yellow or golden ring markings on the abdomen and, in females, prominent spikelike ovipositors used for inserting eggs into stream substrates. Several species are habitat specialists associated with forested streams and are of conservation concern, including C. heros, which is protected under the EU Habitats Directive.
Gabunillo
Gabunillo is a genus of small, eyeless, pigmentless woodlice in the family Armadillidae. Described in 1983 from Gabon, it now includes four species found in Gabon, Brazil, and São Tomé. Members of this genus are characterized by their ability to fully conglobate (roll into a ball), complete absence of eyes, and lack of pseudotracheae. The genus is distinguished from the similar Synarmadillo by cephalon structure, telson shape, and the absence of ventral teeth on thoracic segments.
Haideoporus texanus
Edwards Aquifer Diving Beetle
Haideoporus texanus is a stygobiontic diving beetle endemic to the Edwards Aquifer of Texas. It is a subterranean aquatic species adapted to life in groundwater systems, with larvae possessing characteristic morphological features including a nasale and absence of primary pores MXd and LAc. The species was described in 1976 and represents an independently evolved lineage within the subfamily Hydroporinae.
Haplocampa
two-pronged bristletails
Haplocampa is a genus of two-pronged bristletails (Diplura: Campodeidae) established by Silvestri in 1912. The genus contains at least five described species, including four named by Silvestri in 1912 and 1933, and one described in 2019 from Vancouver Island, Canada. Species in this genus exhibit varying degrees of cave adaptation, with some showing only slight morphological modification for subterranean life. The genus demonstrates biogeographic connections across the North Pacific, with close affinities to Pacificampa (Japan/Korea), Metriocampa (Siberia), and Eumesocampa (North America), suggesting historical dispersal via the Bering Land Bridge.
Lirceolus
Texas Caveslaters
Lirceolus is a genus of freshwater isopods in the family Asellidae, endemic to subterranean habitats in Texas, USA. These troglobitic crustaceans are adapted to life in caves and aquifers, showing reduced pigmentation and eye structures compared to surface-dwelling relatives. The genus was established by Bowman and Longley in 1976 to accommodate species previously assigned to other asellid genera. Known as "Texas Caveslaters," they represent an important component of the unique groundwater fauna of the Edwards Aquifer and related systems.
Metasiro sassafrasensis
mite harvestman
Metasiro sassafrasensis is a species of mite harvestman (suborder Cyphophthalmi) in the family Neogoveidae. It was described in 2014 by Clouse and Wheeler. The species is known from a single locality in Grady County, North America. Like other Cyphophthalmi, it is a small, eyeless harvestman adapted to cryptic habitats.
Nicoletiidae
Nicoletiidae is a family of primitive wingless insects in the order Zygentoma. Members are predominantly subterranean, inhabiting soil, caves, and mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) environments. Many species exhibit troglobiotic adaptations including lack of eyes and pigmentation. The family contains at least four subfamilies (Atelurinae, Nicoletiinae, Cubacubaninae, Coletiniinae, Subnicoletiinae) with over 100 described genera. Some species are commensals in social insect nests, such as Allotrichotriura saevissima in fire ant nests.
Philosciidae
Philosciid Woodlice
Philosciidae is a family of terrestrial isopod crustaceans commonly known as woodlice. The family exhibits a cosmopolitan distribution with strong representation in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. Species diversity is highest in the Neotropics, with numerous genera and species described from Brazil alone. Several species have adapted to cave environments (troglobitic), including notable examples in the genera Benthana and Benthanoides from iron-ore caves in the Amazon biome. The family is less diverse in the Holarctic realm, where only a few species occur.
Pseudouroctonus reddelli
Texas Cave Scorpion
Pseudouroctonus reddelli, commonly known as the Texas Cave Scorpion, is a troglobitic scorpion species first described in 1972. It belongs to the family Vaejovidae and is endemic to cave systems in Texas. The species exhibits classic cave-adapted traits including reduced pigmentation and elongated appendages. As a specialized cave dweller, it represents an important component of subterranean biodiversity in the karst regions of central Texas.
Stygoparnus
Comal Springs dryopid beetle (for sole species S. comalensis)
Stygoparnus is a monotypic genus of dryopid beetles containing the single species Stygoparnus comalensis, known as the Comal Springs dryopid beetle. The genus is endemic to central Texas spring systems fed by the Edwards Aquifer. Its sole member is a federally endangered, subterranean-obligate aquatic beetle with vestigial eyes and reduced pigmentation. The genus represents the only known aquatic lineage within the family Dryopidae.
Theridiidae
tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders, comb-footed spiders
Theridiidae is a large, globally distributed family of araneomorph spiders comprising over 2,600 species in more than 130 genera. Members are characterized by a comb of serrated bristles (setae) on the tarsus of the fourth leg, used to manipulate silk. The family exhibits remarkable diversity in web architecture, ranging from irregular tangle webs to specialized gumfoot webs and sheet-like structures. Theridiids are ecribellate, producing sticky capture silk rather than woolly silk, and are entelegyne with females possessing a genital plate. The family includes medically significant species such as widow spiders (Latrodectus), model organisms for social behavior research (Anelosimus), and specialized kleptoparasites (Argyrodinae).
Troglopina
Troglopina is a subtribe of soft-bodied plant beetles within the family Melyridae. Members of this group are characterized by adaptations associated with subterranean or cave-dwelling lifestyles, as reflected in their name derived from 'troglodyte.' The subtribe includes genera such as Troglops, which exhibit morphological modifications for life in dark, humid environments. These beetles represent a specialized lineage within the diverse Melyridae family.
Xystodesmidae
Cherry Millipedes, flat-backed millipedes
Xystodesmidae is a family of flat-backed millipedes in the order Polydesmida, established by O. F. Cook in 1895. The family comprises over 390 described species across 62 genera, with many additional species remaining undescribed. Members are characterized by broad, compact bodies with prominent paranota (lateral keels), chemical defenses based on hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde, and frequent participation in Müllerian mimicry rings. Peak diversity occurs in the Appalachian Mountains, where approximately one-third of species are found.
Zygethobius pontis
Zygethobius pontis is a small centipede species in the family Henicopidae, described by Chamberlin in 1911. It belongs to the order Lithobiomorpha, a group commonly known as stone centipedes. The species has been documented in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States, specifically in Tennessee and Virginia. Records for this species are sparse, with limited observational data available.