Rhadine persephone

Rhadine persephone is a rare species of beetle known by the common name Tooth Cave ground beetle. It is endemic to Texas in the United States, where it occurs in a network of caves outside Austin.[1] It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

Rhadine persephone

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Carabidae
Genus: Rhadine
Species:
R. persephone
Binomial name
Rhadine persephone
Barr, 1974

This troglobite is a reddish-brown beetle about 7 or 8 millimeters long. Its eyes are rudimentary.[2] It lives on the silt on the cave floors, where it runs around seeking food. It digs up and consumes cricket eggs.[3]

This beetle has been found at 54 locations in karst caves in Travis and Williamson Counties in Texas; three of these locations have since been destroyed.[4] The beetle's survival is threatened by the destruction of its cave habitat, the degradation of the caves by pollution and garbage, and the invasion of fire ants.[3]

References
  1. Rhadine persephone. The Nature Conservancy.
  2. USFWS. Final rule to determine 5 Texas cave invertebrates to be endangered species. Federal Register September 16, 1988.
  3. Rhadine persephone. Texas Parks & Wildlife.
  4. USFWS. Rhadine persephone Five-year Review. September 2008.


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