Tellkampf's Cave Beetle vs San Francisco Forktail Damselfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tellkampf's Cave Beetle San Francisco Forktail Damselfly
Scientific Name Neaphaenops tellkampfi Ischnura gemina
Order Coleoptera Odonata
Family Carabidae Coenagrionidae
Size 5-7 mm 2.5-3 cm
Habitat Caves Ponds & Lakes
Diet Predators Predators
Regions United States United States
Conservation Vulnerable Endangered

Tellkampf's Cave Beetle

A predatory blind cave beetle endemic to Kentucky's Mammoth Cave region. It feeds primarily on eggs of cave crickets.

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Did You Know?

It tracks down cave cricket eggs buried in sandy cave floors using chemical cues.

San Francisco Forktail Damselfly

A tiny damselfly restricted to a few freshwater ponds near the San Francisco Bay coast. It is threatened by urban encroachment and invasive plants.

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Did You Know?

This species is nearly identical to the common Pacific forktail and can only be distinguished by close examination.