A new cave-dwelling species, the Krka beetle Bryaxis krkensis, has been discovered in the Krka NP

A new cave-dwelling species, the Krka beetle Bryaxis krkensis, has been discovered in the Krka NP
The species was named after the Krka National Park, as it was described on the basis of individuals (males and females) collected in a tufa cave in the area of ​​Bilušića buk, a typical site

During research into cave fauna in the Park area in 2015, this species was collected by members of the Croatian Biospeleological Society, and in 2023, the Krka beetle was also found in a cave in the Kaštel Žegarski area. Although a review of the material showed that it was a new species, it took a long time for the find to be published due to the complexity of the work on its description.

It is a very small beetle made up of three parts: the head, the thorax with legs, and the abdomen, only 1.70 – 1.75 mm long, with a maximum width of 0.69 mm. Its head is about the same length and width, with long antennae. Its body is shiny, reddish-brown in color, with the antennae, maxillary palps, and legs having a slightly lighter shade. It is dotted with spots and covered with short, moderately dense, homogeneous and flat-lying hairs of golden color. The legs are slender, with slightly thickened femurs, which are thinner in females than in males. Females also have smaller eyes.

The Krka's beetle predator is at the very top of the feeding network, so any disturbance in the populations of other cave organisms also directly threatens its survival, which, due to its limited distribution, makes it a very vulnerable cave species.