In March 2024, descriptions of two new cave beetle species from the Philippines and a new subgenus were published in Zootaxa.
New Subgenus – ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ก๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐จ (under ๐๐ฆ๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ด)
The researchers describe ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ด beetles as a โtransitional formโ of sorts between the large-eyed ๐๐ฆ๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ด beetles (which live above the soil) and the cave-dwelling ๐๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ถ๐ด (of which only one species, ๐. ๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ช๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ด, is currently known). ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ด beetles have smaller eyes and longer antennae than ๐๐ฆ๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ด beetles, and slightly larger eyes and broader frontal furrows than ๐. ๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ช๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ด.
Etymology: ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ด refers to the troglobitic (cave-dwelling) mode of life.
๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐จ (๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ก๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐จ) ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐
Distribution/habitat: Southwestern Mindanao, Philippines (Sultan Kudarat, Masiag, Bagumbayan)
Endemic: Yes
Distinctive traits: ๐. (๐.) ๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ต๐ข๐ป๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฆ has a very shiny, dark brown to dark reddish body, with pale red mandibles, upper lip, and legs. It has yellowish antennae and feet. Its body and forewings are slightly iridescent (they may show bright colors based on the insectโs movements or how light hits them). It can be distinguished from the other known ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ด species, ๐. (๐.) ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด, via the sharp, rectangular hind angles of its body.
Conservation status: Unspecified
Described by: Alexander Anichtchenko & Milton Medina
Etymology: ๐. (๐.) ๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ต๐ข๐ป๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฆ was named after National Scientist Dr. Clare R. Baltazar, a pioneering Filipina entomologist.
๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐จ (๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ก๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐จ) ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ช๐จ
Distribution/habitat: Eastern Mindanao, Philippines (Limut, Mun. of Tarragona, Davao Oriental)
Endemic: Yes
Distinctive traits: ๐. (๐.) ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด has a very shiny, dark brown to dark reddish body, with pale red mandibles, upper lip, body margins, forewing margins, and legs. It has yellowish antennae and feet. Its body, underside, and forewings are slightly iridescent (they may show bright colors based on the insectโs movements or how light hits them). It can be distinguished from the other known ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ด species, ๐. (๐.) ๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ต๐ข๐ป๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฆ, via the obtuse or blunt hind angles of its body, its shorter antennae, and temples that are as long as its eyes.
Conservation status: Unspecified
Described by: Alexander Anichtchenko & Milton Medina
Etymology: The specific epithet of ๐. (๐.) ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด comes from the Latin word for โdesired.โ
Significance
In the Philippines, there are over 8,000 records of beetle descriptions, most of which were first found in forest ecosystems. According to the authors, there is no data on cavernicolous (cave-dwelling) beetles in the country. Thus, this newly published research โ which also describes a new genus (๐๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข) and two new species under it (๐. ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐บ๐ข and ๐. ๐ฅ๐ช๐ธ๐ข๐ต๐ข) โ fills an important knowledge gap and encourages further study of Mindanaoโs limestone caves, especially since there may be other species there that have yet to be discovered.โMF
Reference:
Anichtchenko, Alexandre & Medina, Milton Norman. (2024). Uncovering what lies within: The first scientific account of cave-dwelling ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Philippines with the description of a new genus, new subgenus, and four new species from Mindanao. Zootaxa. 5428. 10.11646/zootaxa.5428.4.3.
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
