Creature found in dark reaches of popular Australia tourist cave. It’s a new species
At a popular geological park outside Melbourne, Australia, tourists have the opportunity to try caving.
More than 50 people per day go on recreational caving tours in Britannia Creek Cave year-round, subjecting the subterranean environment to watchful eyes and heavy foot traffic.
Now, a creature that lives in this dark and damp environment has been discovered for the first time — and it’s a new species.
Researchers caught the new species of cave crickets by hand during a survey of the cave in May, according to a study published Oct. 28 in the peer-reviewed Australian Journal of Taxonomy.
The “medium-sized” crickets are about half of an inch long with patterned brown bodies and black eyes, according to the study.
“Cave crickets are a globally-distributed group of insects found in cool, dark habitats of high relative humidity,” researchers said. “In Australia, eight genera are described and several are known only from cave environments, though a far greater diversity likely remains undiscovered both underground and in forest habitats.”
Eburnocauda saxatilis, the new species, comes from a group of crickets known to have “tusk-like styli,” or small leg-like appendages, on the back of males of the species, according to the study. The shape of the styli earned the genus its name from the Latin words “eburno,” meaning ivory, and “cauda,” meaning tail.
The species name, saxalitis, is a Latin word meaning “that which lives amongst rocks,” researchers said.
“Subterranean (crickets) are typically found in the twilight zone of Australian caves, but in some species a minority of individuals may extend into regions of total darkness,” researchers said. “At (Britannia Creek Cave), (crickets) are numerous even in the dark zone, with individuals having been sighted amongst boulders and within fissures in the granite.”
Because their cave home is so accessible to the public, it puts a significant strain on the ecosystem within the cave, according to the study.
The new species has only been found in one cave so far, so researchers worry “trampling” of the insects and “damage to the surrounding habitat” may put their species at risk.
Britannia Creek Cave is in southeastern Australia.
The research team includes S. Iannello and P. G. Beasley-Hall.
This story was originally published November 7, 2024 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Creature found in dark reaches of popular Australia tourist cave. It’s a new species."
