Kingdom Animalia Family Leiodidae Phylum Arthropoda Order Beetle | Class Insecta Genus Glacicavicola Rank Species | |
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Scientific name Glacicavicola bathysciodes | ||
Glacicavicola bathysciodes also known as the Western Blind Cave Beetle is a species of beetle in family Leiodidae. It is endemic to caves in the western United States.
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Description
Glacicavicola bathysciodes is a shiny, translucent, brownish-orange, ant-like beetle, approximately 6 cm long by 2mm wide. It has become well-adapted to the troglobitic lifestyle: It has long thin antennae covered in fine setae, and slender legs (also covered in setae) which allow it to easily traverse the difficult terrain present in its environment. A particularly interesting feature of Glacicavicola bathysciodes is the absence of eyes, and the beetle is completely blind, even lacking optic neuropiles. Their abdomen exhibits false physogastry, which means that their abdomen appears larger than it truly is, due to the enlarged dome-like elytra which covers the entire abdomen.
Biology
Little is known about the biology Glacicavicola bathysciodes (the Western Blind Cave Beetle), due to its unique lifecycle and location. The beetles have been observed to feed on arthropod remains, as well as fungus, and it is speculated that they may eat bacteria as well. No larval form of the beetle has been observed. The beetles are suspected to have a lifecycle of around three years.
Range
The Western Blind Cave Beetle originally was discovered by Richard Wescott in Idaho lava tube ice caves along the eastern Snake River Plain of Idaho. It has since been discovered in similar localities, including a limestone cave in Wyoming. The beetles have been associated with humid, cold cave temperatures and ice, and they die when exposed to higher temperatures, which limits their distribution.