| Graciliella | |
|---|---|
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| G. apfelbecki and G. metohijensis | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Genus: | Graciliella Njunjić et al., 2016 |
| Type species | |
| Graciliella apfelbecki apfelbecki (Müller, 1910) | |
| Species | |
See text | |
Graciliella is a genus of cave beetle in the family [1] Leiodidae. [2] It was previously included in the genus Anthroherpon but DNA evidence showed that it is actually a more distantly related group of species. The paper in which Graciliella was published gained some media attention, with several stories picking up on the spider-like appearance of these beetles. [3] Graciliella currently consists of six species, including the newly discovered Graciliella kosovaci and Graciliella ozimeci All species occur in subterranean habitats of the Dinaric Mountains, from Crvanj mountain (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in the north, to Trnovo (Montenegro) in the south, and from Žaba mountain (Croatia) in the west to Prokletije mountain (Montenegro) in the east. [2]
These beetles are highly specialized for life underground, with elongated limbs, pale coloration, and reduced or absent eyes, adaptations common in troglobitic species. Their unique morphology, combined with their restricted range, makes them of particular interest to evolutionary biologists studying cave biodiversity in the Balkans.
