Biology
It is less than 1/8 inch long and their body color can range from a dark purple to a light reddish brown color and is sparsely and weakly dotted with small pits. They have short wings and long legs. The beetle lives under rocks and logs, in sinkholes, rotting wood, termite nest, and caves, although it is now only found in four caves in the Edwards Plateau, Travis County, Texas. This may be a farfetched figure because many of the caves in the region have not been surveyed. It lives in total darkness so there is no use for eyes and uses elaborate appendages and beefed up nerve centers to interpret slight air-pressure or temperature changes, sounds, and smells. This sensory equipment helps the beetle travel, sense objects, and ambush pray. There is no distinct reproduction pattern for the beetle and may reproduce at anytime of the year if conditions are steady in the cave. Little is known about daily life of the mold beetle because of their secretive habitats. When going to observe them they are rarely found and when they are found it is usually only one to two specimens. It is said that they are so secretive that finding an individual is a rare event. It is also very hard to distinguish Texamaurops reddelli from other beetles in the Pselaphide family. Only upon microscopic study can the beetle be distinguished by its ocular knobs on its head. This causes another problem when observing them because you could actually be observing another beetle in their family.
Read more about this topic: Kretschmarr Cave Mold Beetle
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