Trechine beetles discovered
Scientists from the South China Agricultural University found a whole bunch of rare blind cave beetles. “China is becoming more and more fascinating for those who study cave biodiversity, because it holds some of the most morphologically adapted cavernicolous animals in the world. This is specifically true for fishes and the threchine beetles, the second of which is also the group featured in this study,” explains the senior author of the study Prof. Mingyi Tian.
These beetles can show various specific adaptions like lack of eyes and color. 12 caves out of the 48 had populations of trechine bettles. 103 samples were collected, and the team identified ten different species. Seven are new to science. “This new discovery casts a new light on the importance of the Du’an Karst as a biological hotspot for cavernicolous Trechinae in China,” adds Prof. Mingyi Tian.
