Pseudanophthalmus troglodytes

Pseudanophthalmus troglodytes
Conservation status
Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Adephaga
Family:	Carabidae
Genus:	Pseudanophthalmus
Species:	P. troglodytes
Binomial name
Pseudanophthalmus troglodytes Krekeler, 1973

Pseudanophthalmus troglodytes, also known as the Louisville cave beetle, is a species of ground beetle largely endemic to Eleven Jones Cave of Kentucky. ^[1] It was described in 1973 from specimens from Highbaugh Cave. ^[2]

Conservation

Despite its limited range and Highbaugh Cave's entrance being sealed as a result of construction ^[3] , field surveys from the Fish and Wildlife service determined the beetle lived in three more caves than previously recognized and did not meet the requirements to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. ^[4]

References

1. "Pseudanophthalmus troglodytes". NatureServe Explorer An online encyclopedia of life. 7.1. NatureServe. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
2. Krekeler, Carl H. (1973). Cave beetles of the genus Pseudanophthalmus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from the Kentucky Bluegrass and vicinity. Field Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3087.
3. Ryan, Jacob. "Nobody Has Seen the Louisville Cave Beetle Since 1994, But It May Make the Endangered Species List". Louisville Public Media. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
4. "Endangered Species Act Protection Not Needed for Seven Southeastern Species". U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 4 September 2025.