Metabacetus (Trogloabacetus) baltazarae, Metabacetus (Trogloabacetus) desideratus
Metabacetus (Trogloabacetus) baltazarae and M. (T.) desideratus. (Photos: Milton Norman Medina & Alexander Anichtchenko)

In March 2024, descriptions of two new cave beetle species from the Philippines and a new subgenus were published in Zootaxa.

New Subgenus – ๐™๐™ง๐™ค๐™œ๐™ก๐™ค๐™–๐™—๐™–๐™˜๐™š๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™จ (under ๐˜”๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด)

The researchers describe ๐˜›๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜จ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด beetles as a โ€œtransitional formโ€ of sorts between the large-eyed ๐˜”๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด beetles (which live above the soil) and the cave-dwelling ๐˜”๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ด (of which only one species, ๐˜”. ๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜จ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฃ๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ด, is currently known). ๐˜›๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜จ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด beetles have smaller eyes and longer antennae than ๐˜”๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด beetles, and slightly larger eyes and broader frontal furrows than ๐˜”. ๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜จ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฃ๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ด.

Etymology: ๐˜›๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜จ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด refers to the troglobitic (cave-dwelling) mode of life.

๐™ˆ๐™š๐™ฉ๐™–๐™—๐™–๐™˜๐™š๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™จ (๐™๐™ง๐™ค๐™œ๐™ก๐™ค๐™–๐™—๐™–๐™˜๐™š๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™จ) ๐™—๐™–๐™ก๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ฏ๐™–๐™ง๐™–๐™š

Distribution/habitat: Southwestern Mindanao, Philippines (Sultan Kudarat, Masiag, Bagumbayan)

Endemic: Yes

Distinctive traits: ๐˜”. (๐˜›.) ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ป๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ฆ 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 insectโ€™s movements or how light hits them). It can be distinguished from the other known ๐˜›๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜จ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด species, ๐˜”. (๐˜›.) ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด, via the sharp, rectangular hind angles of its body.

Conservation status: Unspecified

Described by: Alexander Anichtchenko & Milton Medina

Etymology: ๐˜”. (๐˜›.) ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ป๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ฆ was named after National Scientist Dr. Clare R. Baltazar, a pioneering Filipina entomologist.

๐™ˆ๐™š๐™ฉ๐™–๐™—๐™–๐™˜๐™š๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™จ (๐™๐™ง๐™ค๐™œ๐™ก๐™ค๐™–๐™—๐™–๐™˜๐™š๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™จ) ๐™™๐™š๐™จ๐™ž๐™™๐™š๐™ง๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™จ

Distribution/habitat: Eastern Mindanao, Philippines (Limut, Mun. of Tarragona, Davao Oriental)

Endemic: Yes

Distinctive traits: ๐˜”. (๐˜›.) ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด 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 insectโ€™s movements or how light hits them). It can be distinguished from the other known ๐˜›๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜จ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด species, ๐˜”. (๐˜›.) ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ป๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ฆ, 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˜›.) ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ด comes from the Latin word for โ€œdesired.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 (๐˜’๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข) and two new species under it (๐˜’. ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜จ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜บ๐˜ข and ๐˜’. ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ธ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ข) โ€” fills an important knowledge gap and encourages further study of Mindanaoโ€™s limestone caves, especially since there may be other species there that have yet to be discovered.โ€”MF


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.