Troglophilic
Guides
Ischyropsalididae
Ischyropsalidid Harvestmen
Ischyropsalididae is a family of harvestmen (Opiliones) comprising 35 described species across three genera: Acuclavella (thorn harvestmen of North America), Ceratolasma, and Ischyropsalis (predominantly European). The family exhibits a disjunct distribution spanning Europe and western North America. Several species are troglophilic, inhabiting cave systems with documented adaptations to subterranean environments including seasonal activity patterns and microhabitat specialization.
Lithobius peregrinus
Peregrine Stone Centipede
Lithobius peregrinus is a stone centipede species first described in 1880 by Austrian myriapodologist Robert Latzel. The species has a cosmopolitan distribution with type locality in Dalmatia, Croatia. A 2022–2024 study of a troglophilic population in Gaura cu Muscă Cave, Romania documented significant morphological variations, asymmetries, and teratological features across 39 specimens. The species exhibits close water affinity and has been recorded in both surface and subterranean habitats.
Psocathropos
Psocathropos is a genus of small, wingless psocids (booklice) in the family Psyllipsocidae. Members of this genus are troglophilic or troglobitic, often found in caves and other subterranean habitats. The genus was established by Ribaga in 1899 and contains species distributed across multiple continents including North America, the Caribbean, and South Asia.
Psyllipsocus ramburii
cave barklouse
Psyllipsocus ramburii is a species of cave barklouse in the family Psyllipsocidae, first described by Selys-Longchamps in 1872. It is notable for its exceptionally broad geographic distribution, spanning six continents and numerous oceanic islands. The species belongs to the suborder Trogiomorpha, a group characterized by reduced or absent wings and troglophilic tendencies.
Quedius spelaeus
Spelean Rove Beetle
A troglophilic rove beetle found in porcupine dung caves in Nova Scotia, where it functions as the dominant invertebrate predator. The pupal stage was described for the first time from Nova Scotian populations. Late-instar larvae excavate and occupy cavities within dung deposits, pupating in these constructed chambers. The species shows an apparently disjunct distribution pattern in Nova Scotia, possibly reflecting post-glacial colonization from Atlantic refugia.
Scoliopteryx
herald moth
Scoliopteryx is a genus of moths in the family Erebidae, established by Ernst Friedrich Germar in 1810. The genus contains two described species, including Scoliopteryx libatrix (the herald moth), which is notable for its troglophilic behavior and cave-dwelling habits during winter. Species in this genus have been studied for their unique ecological associations, including shared hibernacula with insectivorous bats and susceptibility to entomopathogenic fungi.
Scoliopteryx libatrix
Herald Moth, Herald
Scoliopteryx libatrix, commonly known as the herald moth, is a noctuid moth distributed across the Holarctic region. Adults are notable for their distinctive wing patterning and behavior of overwintering in caves, mines, and similar sheltered structures. The species has been documented as a host for entomopathogenic fungi and shares hibernacula with insectivorous bats. Its acoustic sensitivity to bat echolocation frequencies, combined with an absence of evasive flight responses during hibernation, represents an unusual behavioral adaptation.
Trichopetalidae
Trichopetalidae is a family of small millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. Adults possess 28 or 30 body segments, counting the collum as the first and the telson as the last. The family comprises seven genera and approximately 43 species, with members exhibiting diverse ecological strategies ranging from surface-dwelling to obligate cave-dwelling (troglobitic) lifestyles.
Trichopetalum
A genus of millipedes in the family Trichopetalidae, order Chordeumatida. Contains seven described species, all surface-dwelling or troglophilic. The genus is notable for the first documented authentic chordeumatidan spermatophores and the production of a sticky defensive secretion from segmental setae bases. Species occur in North America, primarily the United States.
Trichopetalum lunatum
Crescent Moon Millipede
Trichopetalum lunatum is a surface-dwelling or troglophilic millipede in the family Trichopetalidae, originally described by Harger in 1872. It is one of seven species in the genus Trichopetalum, which is distinguished from the fully troglobiotic genera Zygonopus and Scoterpes by its non-cave-adapted lifestyle. The species is known to produce a sticky secretion from the bases of its segmental setae, possibly serving a defensive function.