Cave-beetles
Guides
Anemadini
Anemadini is a tribe of small carrion beetles within the subfamily Cholevinae (family Leiodidae). The tribe comprises at least 30 genera and more than 70 described species. Members exhibit diverse ecological adaptations, including forest-dwelling carrion feeders, cave inhabitants, and myrmecophiles living in ant nests. Some lineages show morphological modifications associated with subterranean life, such as reduced or absent eyes.
Anillina
A subtribe of minute ground beetles (Carabidae: Bembidiini) characterized by reduced eyes, elongated appendages, and adaptations for subterranean or cryptic habitats. Members exhibit convergent morphological traits associated with life in soil, leaf litter, or caves. The subtribe includes genera distributed across southern Gondwanan landmasses including New Zealand, Madagascar, and Australia, as well as the Northern Hemisphere.
Cholevinae
small carrion beetles, round fungus beetles
Cholevinae is a subfamily of small carrion beetles within the family Leiodidae (Coleoptera), containing more than 260 genera and over 1,100 described species. The subfamily includes diverse ecological groups: necrophagous species that feed on carrion and dung, mycophagous species associated with fungi, and numerous troglobitic and troglophilic lineages adapted to subterranean habitats. The tribe Leptodirini within Cholevinae represents one of the most diverse radiations of subterranean animals globally, with approximately 1,340 species and subspecies distributed from the Iberian Peninsula to Iran.
Clivinini
Clivinini is a tribe of ground beetles (Carabidae: Scaritinae) containing over 70 genera and more than 1,200 described species. Members are predominantly soil-dwelling or subterranean, with many species adapted to endogean (buried soil) or troglobitic (cave) habitats. The tribe includes several subtribes, most notably Ardistomina (containing Aspidoglossa, Semiardistomis, and Ardistomis) and Reicheiina. Species occur across all major biogeographic regions, with significant radiations in tropical and subtropical karst systems.
Leiodidae
Round Fungus Beetles
Leiodidae is a globally distributed family of small beetles containing approximately 3,800 described species. Commonly known as round fungus beetles, many species exhibit a compact, globular body form, though some are more elongated. The family encompasses diverse ecological specializations including fungivory, detritivory, carrion-feeding, and subterranean cave-dwelling. About half of all described species are flightless due to reduced or absent wings. The tribe Leptodirini represents one of the most diverse radiations of subterranean animals, with over 1,300 species adapted to cave habitats.
Platynini
Platynini is a large tribe of ground beetles (Carabidae) comprising at least 190 genera and approximately 3000 described species. Members occupy diverse habitats including temperate forests, alpine zones, wetlands, and subterranean environments. Several genera contain highly modified cave-adapted (troglobitic) species with reduced eyes and elongated appendages. The tribe has a broad geographic distribution spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Scaritinae
Pedunculate Ground Beetles
Scaritinae is a large, cosmopolitan subfamily of ground beetles (Carabidae) containing over 2,400 species in more than 140 genera. Members exhibit considerable ecological diversity, with many species adapted to specialized habitats including caves, riverbanks, and deep soil layers. The subfamily includes tribes such as Scaritini, Clivinini, and Salcediini. Several genera show disjunct distributions that have contributed to biogeographic understanding of continental drift and faunal exchange.
Speleobamini
Speleobamini is a tribe of rove beetles in the subfamily Pselaphinae, established by Park in 1951. Members of this tribe are small, highly specialized beetles associated with subterranean and cave environments. The tribe is part of the diverse Pselaphinae radiation, which contains numerous microhabitat specialists. Speleobamini represents one of several lineages within Pselaphinae that have adapted to dark, moist habitats.
Trechinae
Trechinae is a subfamily of ground beetles (Carabidae) containing over 6,700 described species across more than 430 genera and 6 tribes. The group exhibits remarkable diversity in habitat preferences, ranging from surface-dwelling species in alpine páramos and saline coastal environments to highly specialized troglobitic (obligate cave-dwelling) forms with extreme morphological adaptations including eyelessness and depigmentation. Notable tribes include Trechini, which contains the most morphologically modified cave-adapted species, and Pogonini, which are primarily associated with humid and saline environments.
Trechini
Trechini is a large and diverse tribe of small ground beetles in the family Carabidae, comprising over 270 genera and more than 2,400 described species worldwide. Members are typically diminutive, often less than 5 mm in length, with many species measuring 1 mm or less. The tribe exhibits remarkable habitat breadth, occurring in terrestrial, subterranean, and high-altitude mountain environments across all continents except Antarctica, though fossil evidence indicates former presence there. Trechini includes numerous cave-adapted lineages, making it the most diverse and cave-specialized group among Carabidae tribes in subterranean habitats.
Xenotrechus
Xenotrechus is a genus of ground beetles (Carabidae) described by Barr & Krekeler in 1967. It contains two described species: X. condei and X. denticollis. The genus belongs to the tribe Trechini within the subfamily Trechinae, placing it among the small, often eyeless or reduced-eyed beetles adapted to subterranean or specialized habitats.