Staphylinidae - undet. sp.
Family Staphylinidae
Undet. genera and spp. Size: 3.94 mm Group Guild Status Subtroglophile? Predator Rare Other than Stamnoderus sp., two unidentified species of staphylinid beetles have been recorded from the cave, one during the initial study, for which we do not have the sample, and a probable second species sampled in the cave by KCSP staff. This latter species is represented by a single animal that was sampled from an environmental monitoring station (EMS) evaporation pan in the Big Room near the Sombrero Formation on April 4, 2005. The species may belong in the subfamily Habrocerinae, but this is uncertain. The species shows no obvious morphological adaptations to a cave existence. The initial study reported a single unidentified Staphylinid beetle observed near the Maternity Roost guano deposit. The disposition of this earlier animal, if it was sampled, is not known. We therefore do not know if these two individuals might be the same species. If we have a second Staphylinid beetle (other than Stamnoderus sp.) that is an element in the ecology of the cave, it must be quite rare. We suspect that it is more likely that these occasional sightings of Staphylinid beetles in the cave represent accidental occurrences. Staphylinid beetles are good fliers and are highly mobile. They are certain to be common in the Park, and with the cave being opened repeatedly to admit tours these beetles are one group we would expect to occasionally find in the cave. Surface surveys should be conducted to see which staphylinid beetle species occur in the Park. |
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