Glacicavicola bathyscioides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Leiodidae
Genus:
Glacicavicola
Species:
G. bathyscioides
Binomial name
Glacicavicola bathyscioides
Westcott, 1968

Glacicavicola bathyscioides is a species of blind cave beetle in family Leiodidae. It is endemic to caves in the western United States.

Description

Glacicavicola bathyscioides is a shiny, translucent, brownish-orange, ant-like beetle, approximately 6 mm 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.[2] The beetle is completely blind, lacking eyes and optic neuropiles.[3] Its abdomen exhibits false physogastry, which means that it 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 of Glacicavicola bathyscioides 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.[2][4]

Range

Glacicavicola bathyscioides was originally described by Richard Westcott in lava tube ice caves along the eastern Snake River Plain of Idaho.[5] It has since been discovered in similar localities, including a limestone cave in Wyoming.[4] The beetles have been associated with humid, cold cave temperatures and ice, and they die when exposed to higher temperatures, which limits their distribution.[6]

References

  1. ↑ World Conservation Monitoring Centre (2017). "Glacicavicola bathyscioides". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T9198A121737584. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T9198A121737584.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Brent Naseath (December 1974). "Investigations of food chains in the blind beetle-cave ecosystems of Idaho". Journal of the Idaho Academy of Science. Idaho Academy of Science: 10,2:77–81.
  3. ↑ Joseph R. Larsen; Gary Booth; Robert Perks; Ross Gundersen (July 1979). "Optic neuropiles absent in cave beetle Glacicavicola bathyscioides (coleoptera:leiodidae)". Transactions of the American Microscopical Society. Wiley on behalf of American Microscopical Society: 98,3:461–464.
  4. 1 2 Stewart B. Peck (January 1974). "Biology of the Idaho lava tube beetle, Glacicavicola". The National Speleological Society Bulletin. The National Speleological Society: 36,1:1–2.
  5. ↑ Richard L. Westcott (June 1968). "A new subfamily of blind beetle from Idaho ice caves with notes on its bionomics and evolution (coleoptera: leiodidae)". Contributions in Science. Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History: 141:1–14.
  6. ↑ Stewart B. Peck (December 1981). "The Idaho cave beetle Glacicavicola also occurs in Wyoming". The Coleopterists Bulletin. The Coleopterists Society: 35,4:451–452.
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