Tooth Cave Ground Beetle vs Thread-legged Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tooth Cave Ground Beetle Thread-legged Bug
Scientific Name Rhadine persephone Emesaya brevipennis
Order Coleoptera Hemiptera
Family Carabidae Reduviidae
Size 0.5-0.7 cm 30-37 mm
Habitat Caves Caves
Diet Predators Predators
Regions United States North America
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Tooth Cave Ground Beetle

A tiny eyeless ground beetle found only in a few limestone caves near Austin, Texas. It is a specialized predator of other cave invertebrates.

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Did You Know?

It is completely blind and has never been found outside of the total darkness of cave systems.

Thread-legged Bug

An extremely slender assassin bug with stick-like legs that hunts in spider webs. It plucks web strands to lure spiders close enough to seize and consume them.

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Did You Know?

It invades spider webs and mimics trapped prey vibrations to lure the resident spider within striking distance.