Karst-fauna
Guides
Anillinus choestoea
Anillinus choestoea is a small, eyeless ground beetle in the family Carabidae, described by Thomas C. Barr in 1962. It belongs to a genus of anilline beetles characterized by reduced eyes or complete anophthalmia, elongated bodies, and subterranean habits. The species is known from cave and deep soil habitats in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States. Like other members of Anillinus, it exhibits morphological adaptations for life in darkness, including depigmentation and elongated appendages.
Batrisodes texanus
Coffin Cave mold beetle, Inner Space Caverns mold beetle
Batrisodes texanus is a minute troglobitic beetle endemic to caves in Williamson County, Texas. This eyeless species measures only 2.60–2.88 mm and inhabits the unique microenvironment of cave systems, where it feeds on organic matter such as mold and detritus. The species is federally listed as endangered due to its extremely restricted range and vulnerability to habitat disturbance. It belongs to the diverse rove beetle family Staphylinidae, specifically the subfamily Pselaphinae, which contains many cave-adapted species.
Islandiana
dwarf spiders, money spiders
Islandiana is a genus of minute sheet-web spiders (family Linyphiidae, subfamily Erigoninae) first described by J. Braendegaard in 1932. The genus currently comprises 15 described species, with the majority distributed across North America. Several species exhibit obligate cave-dwelling habits, making the genus notable among subterranean spider faunas. The most recently described species, Islandiana lewisi, was identified in 2018 from a single cave in southern Indiana after a 30-year gap in new species descriptions for the genus.
Megacina
Megacina is a genus of armoured harvestmen in the family Phalangodidae, established by Ubick & Briggs in 2008. The genus contains at least four described species, all found in western North America. These species are characterized by heavily sclerotized body armor typical of the family. The genus was erected based on morphological distinctions from related phalangodid genera.
Speleobama
Speleobama is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. It was described by Orlando Park in 1951 and is the type genus of the tribe Speleobamini. Members of this genus are associated with cave habitats, as indicated by the genus name derived from 'speleo-' (cave) and 'bama' (a suffix used in related genera). The genus contains multiple described species found in North America.
Trogloneta
spurred orb-weavers
Trogloneta is a genus of minute spurred orb-weavers in the family Mysmenidae, described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1922. The genus currently comprises twelve described species distributed across Europe, East Asia, and the Americas. These spiders are among the smallest known spiders, with some species measuring less than 2 mm in body length. Several species exhibit cave-adapted characteristics and restricted distributions, with some Chinese species showing extreme population genetic divergence due to geographic isolation in karst cave systems.