Glacicavicola bathysciodes [SEP] parent taxon
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.
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