The first known troglomorphic, eyeless spider wasp (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae): Troglopompilus miracaecatus gen. et sp. nov. from the Nullarbor Caves, Western Australia
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Date
2026
Authors
Rodriguez, J.
Austin, A.D.
Marsh, J.R.
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Austral Entomology, 2026; 65(2):e70061-1-e70061-9
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Juanita Rodriguez, Andrew D. Austin, Jessica R. Marsh
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Abstract
Surveys of caves of the Nullarbor Plain, Western Australia, revealed a remarkable assemblage of exceptionally well-preserved mummified arthropods, comprising Araneae, Blattodea, Coleoptera and Chilopoda, all of which exhibit high levels of troglomorphism, lacking eyes and showing a number of other adaptations. Of note, this arthropod assemblage also included a pompilid wasp which is eyeless and brachypterous and unlike any member of the family known globally. Here, we describe this amazing wasp as Troglopompilus miracaecatus gen. et sp. nov., and discuss its remarkable morphology and possible affinities and biology.
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© 2026 The Author(s). Austral Entomology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Entomological Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.