Species of cave-dwelling centipede
Cryptops speleorex is a species of troglobitic centipede in the family Cryptopidae. It is endemic to the Movile Cave, Romania, where it was discovered in 2020.
Appearance
C. speleorex grows to roughly 52 millimetres (2.0 in).[1][2]
Ecology
C. speleorex is the largest invertebrate animal that lives in Movile Cave. It feeds on other arthropods, such as isopods, spiders, small beetles, and diplura.[1]
References
- ^ a b Vahtera, Varpu; Stoev, Pavel & Akkari, Nesrine (2020-12-16). "Five million years in the darkness: A new troglomorphic species of Cryptops Leach, 1814 (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha) from Movile Cave, Romania". ZooKeys (1004): 1–26. Bibcode:2020ZooK.1004....1V. doi:10.3897/zookeys.1004.58537. PMC 7758309. PMID 33384564.
- ^ Nield, David (2020-12-19). "Meet The 'King' of a Toxic Underground Ecosystem Unlike Anywhere Else on Earth". ScienceAlert. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
