Tartarocreagris texana
Encyclopedia
Tartarocreagris texana is a species of arachnid
in family Neobisiidae. It is endemic to Texas
in the United States
, where it is known from only two caves in Travis County
. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This pseudoscorpion
is about 4 millimeters long. It is a troglobite
, spending its entire life in subterranean caves. It is eyeless. It has no tail and no stinger. It has pincers which it uses to capture small arthropods.
Arachnid
Arachnids are a class of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although in some species the front pair may convert to a sensory function. The term is derived from the Greek words , meaning "spider".Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial...
in family Neobisiidae. It is endemic to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it is known from only two caves in Travis County
Travis County, Texas
As of 2009, the U.S. census estimates there were 1,026,158 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 821 people per square mile . There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 per square mile...
. It is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
This pseudoscorpion
Pseudoscorpion
A pseudoscorpion, , is an arachnid belonging to the order Pseudoscorpionida, also known as Pseudoscorpiones or Chelonethida....
is about 4 millimeters long. It is a troglobite
Troglobite
Troglobites are small cave-dwelling animals that have adapted to their dark surroundings. Troglobite species include spiders, insects, fish and others. They live permanently underground and cannot survive outside the cave environment. Troglobite adaptations and characteristics include a heightened...
, spending its entire life in subterranean caves. It is eyeless. It has no tail and no stinger. It has pincers which it uses to capture small arthropods.
External links
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. Tartarocreagris texana. 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 28 September 2011.