Bug FAQTooth Cave Ground Beetle
Rhadine persephone · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Carabidae
It lives exclusively on the floors of dark, humid karst caves in Texas, hiding in crevices. It is a predator of tiny arthropods and cave cricket eggs, and may also eat organic material washed in by rain.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It has a slender body with long legs and long antennae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly 7 to 8 mm, about a third of an inch.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits the floors of dark, humid karst caves in Texas, preferring crevices.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It preys on micro-arthropods and on cave cricket eggs, and can also consume organic debris washed in during rainstorms.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Scientists estimate the beetle lives one to two years. Eggs hatch after about 18½ days; larvae develop for roughly 57 days, pupate for 32 days, and adults become reproductive after a month, reaching maturity at about four months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is endemic to Texas and occurs only in its karst caves.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Related cave beetles such as Neaphaenops tellkampfii and Ptomaphagus hirtus are thought to have similar life histories.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 2 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
How big is the Tooth Cave ground beetle?
Adults are about 7 to 8 mm long, roughly a third of an inch.
Source: Wikipedia
What does the Tooth Cave ground beetle eat?
It feeds on tiny arthropods and cave cricket eggs, and may also take organic material washed into the cave by rain.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the Tooth Cave ground beetle live?
It lives on the floors of dark, humid karst caves in Texas, hiding in crevices.
Source: Wikipedia
How long does the Tooth Cave ground beetle live?
Its lifespan is estimated at one to two years, with development stages lasting about 108 days from egg to adult.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Carabidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhadine_persephone
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.