Cave Biology

The Ptinidae or spider beetles, is a worldwide family of beetles especially distributed in the subtropical and temperate zones including Iran. The species Niptus hololeucus (Faldermann, 1836) collected from Kangohar cave in Fars Province, southern Iran, is described as new record for Iran with illustrations of adult as well as male and female genitalia. We regarded this beetle as a troglophile and guanophile species.

The history of zoological investigations at the Batu caves and elsewhere in Southeast Asia from the early 20th century to the present is reviewed. Although there were major surveys and Dark Cave at Batu became the most intensively biologically investigated cave in the region, until the 1970s there was little change in the prevailing view that tropical caves had little of speleobiological importance.  Key advances in speleobiology in the last half century that have changed this perception and drawn attention to tropical cave biology are briefly discussed, and their possible significance for the research potential of the Batu caves assessed.

BACKGROUND:
In spite of its indusrial usefulness and varied daily uses, lead (Pb) pollution is a widespread ecological problem that faces the humans in the 21th century. Pb was found to produces a wide range of toxic effects including neurotoxicity especially to the developing and young offspring. Recently, the utilization of herbal plants has received a significant attention where there has been rising awareness in their therapeutic use; among these is the garlic.
AIM OF THE WORK:
In light of the above, the current study is designed experimentally in female pregnant rats in order to investigate the beneficial role of garlic extract in the protection from the maternal and fetal cerebellar damage that produced by administration of different doses of Pb during pregnancy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Positively pregnant female rats were divided into five groups; one control group, two Pb-treated groups (exposed to 160 and 320 mg/kg b.wt. of Pb, respectively) and two groups treated with both Pb and garlic (exposed to Pb as previous groups together with 250 mg/ kg b.wt. /day of garlic extract). Treatments started from day 1 till day 20 of pregnancy, where the mother rats of different experimental groups were sacrified to obtain the fetuses. Pb level in the maternal nd fetal blood and cerebellum was estimated by spectrophotometry. Specimens of the cerebellum of different mother and fetal groups were processed to histological and immunohistochemical staining for microscopic examination.
RESULTS:
The results showed that administration of Pb to pregnant rats resulted in a dose-dependent toxicity for both mothers and fetuses in the form of decrease of maternal weight gain, placental and fetal weights, brain weight and diminished fetal growth parameters, which were prominent in rat's group treated with larger dose of Pb. In Pb-treated rats, Pb level in blood and cerebellum was high when compared to the control. The histopathological examination of the cerebellum of treated dams and fetuses showed marked alterations mainly in the form of Purkinje cell degeneration and lack of deveopmet of fetal cerebellum. Co-treatment of garlic extract along with Pb resulted in a significant decrease in Pb levels as compared with those treated with Pb alone with improvement of the histopathological changes.
CONCLUSIONS:
This study was useful in evaluating the hazardous effects of uncontrolled use of Pb in general and in assessing the developmental and neurotoxicity of fetuses due to exposure during pregnancy in particular. Co-administration of garlic has beneficial effects in amelioration of Pb-induced neurotoxicity and reversing the histopathological changes of the cerebellum of mother rats and fetuses.
KEYWORDS:
garlic; glial fibrillary acidic protein; lead; purkinje cells

Macro-invertebrates have an important role in maintaining the stability of the wide niches of faunal assemblage of caves. This study was conducted to determine the diversity and relative abundance of macro-invertebrates inside of an unexplored cave in San Isidro, Davao del Norte. Sampling was done through a combination of methods: visual search and direct counting methods. Eleven species of macro-invertebrates belonging to six orders were recorded. Cyclophorus linguiferus, Lamarckiella mindanaensis were found only in the entrance and Sundathelpusa sp. was found the most abundant species inside the cave. The highest species richness and abundance were found in the thickest guano deposit. The cave has low diversity index. Disturbances present in the cave seem to have affected the species and individuals.

We report herein the results of our cave surveys in Marinduque Island for presence of bats conducted during June 1-14, 2010 and January 28-30, 2011. The survey covered 11 caves in four different municipalities, and employed standard mist-netting at cave entrance and along the entire cave length to capture bats. A total of 13 bat species was recorded in nine of the 11 caves we visited. The species tally comprised of one fruit bat species, one emballonurid, one megadermatid, two hipposiderids, five rhinolophids, and two vespertilionids. At least eight species we captured are new records for the island including a potentially new species of Rhinolophus. With our survey, the bat faunal diversity of Marinduque now stands at 25 species, emphasizing the importance of caves as a major source of bat diversity. Despite the significant increase in species tally, our survey of cave-dwelling bats in Marinduque is still inadequate because of low number of caves visited and limited survey time for each cave.

The Desert Caves of Saudi Arabia by John Pint is a 120-page hardback with color photographs and descriptions of limestone caves in Saudi Arabia explored and studied between the years 1980 and 2003. Included are deep pits such as the Dharb al Najem (100 meters deep) and labyrinths such as Dahl Sultan, whose total length is still not known. A description of the underwater passages of Ain Hit is given as well as the findings of KFUPM and the Austrian Academy of Sciences, which surveyed 58 caves on the Summan Plateau beginning in 1986. Many of the caves feature beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, helictites and other speleothems. Many are the repositories of well-preserved bones and even naturally mummified animals. The text is in both English and Arabic and copies of the book are available from Saudi Geological Survey, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The Batu caves are the only caves in the Malay Peninsula that are well investigated zoologically, and they are the most thoroughly sampled anywhere in Southeast Asia. However, the records have not been collated to provide a comprehensive overview of the fauna present. This issue is addressed here by presenting an authoritative checklist of all reported zoological taxa, together with ecological annotations and a comprehensive bibliography

The 12th EuroSpeleo Forum, Europe’s premier speleological event, is held in Ebensee, Austria, on 23rd-26th August 2018.
Under the motto “Speleology – Connecting Science”, the congress will focus on the role of speleology as a bridge for different ways of thinking, cultures of knowledge and scientific approaches.
The proceedings comprise (extended) abstracts of 122 oral and poster presentations given at the conference.

Several caves and sinkholes where snow and ice persist well into the summer exist in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. They were often used in the past as a source of ice or for cold storage, and are known locally as “ice caves” or “ice holes”.  They are not true ice caves in the speleological sense of the term because they do not contain permanent ice, but are similar. Woodville Ice Cave in Hants County, Nova Scotia, described here, is a particularly good example.  It is in an area of unusually well-developed gypsum-anhydrite karst. Invertebrates and bats recorded from such sites are listed, and the possibility of psychrophilic fauna is suggested.

Hypogean habitat has characteristic features: lack of sunlight, stable climate, limited food sources. Cave-dwelling species evolved morphological and physiological adaptations. They are categorized by adaptability in: trogloxenes (occasional cavernicoles), troglophiles (living in both hypogean and epigean habitats), troglobionts (true cavernicoles). The presence of freshwaters and subaerial areas allows Foran di Landri cave to host several subterranean species, mostly arthropods. Freshwater hosts crustaceans (the copepod Megacyclops viridis, the amphipods Niphargus julius and Niphargus sp. prope stygius, and the isopod Monolistra julia) and snails. Terrestrial fauna includes the spiders Meta menardi, Metellina merianae and Troglohyphantes fagei, a Julid millipede, several springtails, the cave cricket Troglophilus neglectus, the crane fly Limonia nubeculosa, the round fungus beetle Aphaobius cfr. forojulensis, and the ground beetles Laemostenus schreibersi and Anophthalmus fab-brii chiappai, as well as some bats. Moreover, trogloxenes are sometimes found in the entry hall. The features of taxa living in Foran di Landri cave are hereby described.
L'ambiente ipogeo ha caratteristiche peculiari: assenza di luce, clima stabile, scarsità di risorse. Le specie cavernicole hanno evoluto adattamenti morfologici e fisiologici specifici. In base al loro grado di adattamento, esse sono suddivise in: troglosseni (cavernicoli occasionali), troglofili (vivono sia in ambiente ipogeo che epigeo), troglobi (cavernicoli obbligati). Il Foran di Landri, grazie alla presenza di zone subaeree e zone sommerse, ospita un discreto numero di specie cavernicole, soprattutto artropodi. Nelle acque vivono crostacei (il copepode Megacyclops viridis, gli anfipodi Niphargus julius e Niphargus sp. prope stygius, l'isopode Monolistra julia) e gasteropodi. La fauna terrestre include i ragni Meta menardi, Metellina merianae e Troglohyphantes fagei, un millepiedi julide, diversi collemboli, l'ortottero Troglophilus neglectus, il dittero Limonia nubeculosa, il coleottero colevide Aphaobius cfr. forojulensis e i coleotteri carabidi Laemostenus schreibersi e Anophthalmus fabbrii chiappai, oltre ad alcuni chirotteri. La sala iniziale è frequentata anche da troglosseni. Sono qui descritte le caratteristiche dei taxa presenti nel Foran di Landri.

As part of the KARAG project (jointly organized by University of Namur, University of Mons and Royal Observatory of Belgium with the collaboration of University of Luxembourg and finance by FNRS), the aim of this thesis was to study the biospeology of the Lomme karstic system of the givetian aquifer in Rochefort. The biological parameters that may influence the richness and diversity of the aquatic macroinvertebrates of this habitat were characterized.
Different samplings were taken to characterize the condition of the environment and to identify fauna therein. The Lomme in surface were also sampled to compare the faunal composition with the one of the Lomme subterranean. The identification of these organisms gives an idea of the proportion of species belonging to the strictly underground environment.
The study of sediment shows a difference in size and proportion of organic matter between the surface and the subsurface environment. The underground stations are characterized by a finer particle size and a greater importance of organic matter. The conductivity is also greater in underground and in the resurgence.
In this system, karst flows are very fast and convective. So the water doesn’t have time to get in equilibrium with the underground environment. The fauna found in this system doesn’t seem equilibrated with the underground environment but simply washed away.
Species richness is lower in the underground environment compared to the surface environment. Macroinvertebates sampled in those two environments belong to the same families. However there are still taxa specific to caves such as Oligochaetes, Platyhelminthes and Asellus cavaticus. Data analysis highlights the different distributions of the substrates. Links have been established between the distribution of macroinvertebrates, grain size and the proportion of organic matter in sediments from the study of biological traits.

Human-elephant conflict is on the increase even though there are fewer elephants on the planet with every passing year.  Ian Redmond reports from two Born Free projects working to help people and elephants live in harmony.
The story of the formation of the MEEM Team - the Mount Elgon Elephant Monitoring Team - community trackers teamed up with Kenya Wildlife Service rangers to monitor the famous cave-elephants of Mt Elgon on the Kenya side of the mountain, initially to be filmed for Sir David Attenborough's BBC series 'Life of Mammals'.
Elephant orphans helped to return to a life in the wild in Sri Lanka and fences to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

El Monumento Natural Cuevas de Talgua, presenta
una gran oportunidad para la conservación
de murciélagos en Honduras. Pero la información
acerca de las especies que habitan está zona es
muy escasa. Para aumentar la información de los
murciélagos de las Cuevas de Talgua, se procedió
a realizar un inventarió de la zona, con la técnica
de captura de redes niebla, y la grabación
de sonidos de ecolocalización. Se identificaron 8
especies de murciélagos. En cuanto a la especie
más capturada en redes de niebla, fue Carollia
perspicillata. De las grabaciones de sonido, se
identificó a Pteronotus mesoamericanus. Muchas
de las especies registradas en el área son de importancia
para el funcionamiento de los bosques
secos. Cumplen papeles de dispersores de semillas
y controladores de plagas. Los resultados indican
el valor del Monumentos Natural Cuevas de
Talgua para la conservación de los murciélagos y
la biodiversidad de Honduras.

Many biospeleological studies focus on organisms that are exclusive inhabitants of the subterranean realm, but organisms that are not obligate cave-dwellers are frequent in caves, and may account for a substantial portion of biomass. Moreover, several taxa that are usually epigeous are regularly found inside caves, but for most of them it is unknown whether they accidentally enter them, or whether they actively select caves for specific environmental features. In this study we analysed the community of non-strict cave-dwelling organisms (amphibians, gastropods, spiders and orthopterans) in 33 caves from Central Italy, to assess how environmental factors determine community structure. Cave features strongly affected the distribution of the taxa considered. The combined effect of cave morphology and microclimate explained nearly 50% of the variation of community structure. Most of community variation occurred along a gradient from deep, dark and humid caves, to dry caves with wider entrances and extended photic areas. Most of species were associated with humid, deep and dark caves. Most of the non-troglobiont amphibians and invertebrates did not occur randomly in caves, but were associated to caves with specific environmental features. Analysing relationships between cave-dwelling species and environmental variables can allow a more ecological and objective classification of cave-dwelling organisms.

Many of the cave-dwelling bat species are under threat, because of destruction of caves such as filling or converting for other uses, human disturbance and loss of foraging habitats. In this study, cave-dwelling bat species and habitat preferences were investigated in Northwest of Central Anatolia in spring, summer and winter. Investigations were performed in 26 caves hosting (15) and not hosting (11) bats. Temperature, humidity, length of caves, distance to nearest settlement, paved road, water source, agricultural area; height, width and orientation of cave entrance and activity of cave values were determined. Seven out of 10 recorded bat species were evaluated as new records for the area. There was a significant preference for caves which were situated at lower altitude, far from paved road and close to water source. Bats were mostly found in longer caves. Caves with entrance oriented to northwest and southeast were preferred by bats. Undertaking effective conservation measures to maintain especially eight threatened bat species which were found in the region should be a priority for conservation management plans.

A rapid survey inside the Hinatuan Enchanted River Underwater Cave System (HERUCS) and its connecting river was done to gather baseline data on the biophysical aspects of the cave and river ecosystem. It involved collection of water samples, sediments and macrofauna. Water samples were analyzed for the following parameters, namely: nitrates, phosphates, turbidity, BOD, pH, alkalinity, conductivity and total coliform. Sediment samples were analyzed for total organic matter and grain size. A listing of macrofauna found within the length of the established sampling station was also collected, photo-documented and identified. Water from inside the cave have a pH range of 7.35 – 7.39, a BOD of 1.67 – 4.00 mg/L, a 16 ppt salinity (at cave entrance), and, nitrate and phosphate values of 0.32 – 0.44 mg/L and 0.10 – 0.52 mg/L, respectively. The mean total coliform count of the water sample from the upstream sampling site was 1,700 MPN/100 ml. There were 5 organisms belonging to 4 families recorded from inside the cave while 43 organisms belonging to 9 families were collected from its connecting river. Majority of the macrofauna samples collected were marine to brackish-water species and can be considered accidentals. Although there were no stygobites caught, the possibility of finding new species is high considering the depth of the cave and its many unexplored chambers. Further explorations are highly recommended with the use of mixed gas (i.e., Nitrox) for longer bottom time and more thorough sampling.

Cave ecosystems are considered one of the most poorly studied and fragile systems on Earth. Belize caves are no exception. This paper represents the first effort to synthesize information on both invertebrate and vertebrate observations from a Belize cave. Based on limited field research and a review of literature, we identified two ecologically sensitive areas, and developed a species inventory list containing 41 vertebrate and invertebrate morphospecies in Actun Chapat, Vaca Plateau, west-central Belize. Actun
Chapat contains two ecologically sensitive areas: (1) a large multiple species bat roost, and (2) a subterranean pool containing troglobites and stygobites. The inventory list is a product of sporadic research conducted between 1973 and 2001. Ecological research in this cave system remains incomplete. An
intensive systematic ecological survey of Actun Chapat with data collection over multiple seasons using a suite of survey techniques will provide a more complete inventory list. To minimize human disturbance to the ecologically sensitive areas, associated with ecotourism, we recommend limited to no access in the areas identified as “sensitive.”

During September 2008 through June 2011, we compiled a biological inventory of Meacham Cave in Independence County, AR. Compared to other caves in the region, Meacham Cave houses few vertebrates, but non-aquatic invertebrates were relatively common. A transiently-increased bacterial load in the cave’s only pool of water indicated recent fecal contamination. The combination of vandalism, low vertebrate populations, and high coliform bacterial load reveals that human abuse of the cave has significantly disrupted its ecosystem. Gating the cave in such a way as to allow the movement of bats, salamanders and other animals, while excluding humans, may allow the cave ecosystem to recover. The close proximity of the cave to Lyon College makes it ideal for long-term investigation.

It is proposed that the ecological concept of an ecotone (a zone of steep environmental gradient between adjacent ecological communities or ecosystems) could be applied to caves in their entirety. Arguments are given in support of this proposal, and some of the conceptual, theoretical and empirical implications are highlighted and briefly discussed.

A detailed description of a new stygobiont species of the amphipod family Hadziidae, Mayaweckelia troglomorpha Angyal, sp. n. is given, based on material collected in four cenotes of Yucatán federal state, México. Morphology was studied under light microscopy and with scanning electron microscopy. Morphological description is complemented with mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences as barcodes, with affinities to the related taxa and with notes on the species' ecology. Using COI Bayesian inference and genetic distance analyses, we show that the closest relative of the new species is M. cenoticola, forming a monophyletic group referring to the genus Mayaweckelia. Based on the available sequences , we also revealed that Mayaweckelia and Tuluweckelia are sister genera, standing close to the third Yucatán subterranean genus, Bahadzia. The data gathered on the habitat, distribution, abundance, and ecology will contribute to the conservation planning for M. troglomorpha Angyal, sp. n.

As part of the KARAG project (jointly organized by University of Namur, University of Mons and Royal Observatory of Belgium with the collaboration of University of Luxembourg and finance by FNRS), the aim of this thesis was to study the biospeology of the Lomme karstic system of the givetian aquifer in Rochefort. The biological parameters that may influence the richness and diversity of the aquatic macroinvertebrates of this habitat were characterized.
Different samplings were taken to characterize the condition of the environment and to identify fauna therein. The Lomme in surface were also sampled to compare the faunal composition with the one of the Lomme subterranean. The identification of these organisms gives an idea of the proportion of species belonging to the strictly underground environment.
The study of sediment shows a difference in size and proportion of organic matter between the surface and the subsurface environment. The underground stations are characterized by a finer particle size and a greater importance of organic matter. The conductivity is also greater in underground and in the resurgence.
In this system, karst flows are very fast and convective. So the water doesn’t have time to get in equilibrium with the underground environment. The fauna found in this system doesn’t seem equilibrated with the underground environment but simply washed away.
Species richness is lower in the underground environment compared to the surface environment. Macroinvertebates sampled in those two environments belong to the same families. However there are still taxa specific to caves such as Oligochaetes, Platyhelminthes and Asellus cavaticus. Data analysis highlights the different distributions of the substrates. Links have been established between the distribution of macroinvertebrates, grain size and the proportion of organic matter in sediments from the study of biological traits.

We studied adaptations to subterranean environments in Acari. Mite populations of two caves and of the mineral horizon of soil from three forest sites were analysed. In the soil, body length was limited by the pore size. The proportions of (i) predators, (ii) phoretic mites, and (iii) primitive oribatids were higher in caves. This was potentially explained by (i) polyphagy or predation on other groups and reduced interspecific competition, (ii) the fragmented structure and liability to flooding of the cave habitat, and (iii) the higher humidity in caves. Adaptations to dry habitats probably greatly influenced the evolution in Oribatida. It is proposed that numerous mites colonized caves directly from deep soil without a surface stage.

Quaternary climate and sea-level research in coastal karst basins (caves, cenotes, sinkholes, blueholes, etc.) generally focuses on analyzing isotopes in speleothems, or associating cave elevations prior sea-level highstands. The sediments in coastal karst basins represent an overlooked source of climate and sea-level information in the coastal zone, but to accurately interpret these sediments first requires an understanding of the forcing mechanisms that emplace them. In this study, we hypothesize that coastal karst basins transition through vadose, littoral, anchialine, and finally into submarine environments during sea-level rise because groundwater and sea level oscillate in near synchrony in the coastal zone, causing each environment to deposit a unique sedimentary facies. To test this hypothesis, the stratigraphy in twelve sediment cores from a Bermudian underwater cave (Green Bay Cave) was investigated and temporally constrained with twenty radiocarbon dates. The results indicate that we recovered the first succession spanning the entire Holocene from an underwater cave (~13 ka to present). The sediments were characterized with X-radiography, fossil remains, bulk organic matter, organic geochemistry (δ13Corg, C:N), and grain size analysis. Four distinct facies represent the four depositional environments: (i) vadose facies (> 7.7 ka, calcite rafts lithofacies), (ii) littoral facies (7.7 to 7.3 ka: calcite rafts and mud lithofacies), (iii) anchialine facies (7.3 to 1.6 ka: slackwater and diamict lithofacies), and (iv) submarine facies (< 1.6 ka: carbonate mud and shell hash lithofacies). The onset and duration of these sedimentary depositional environments are closely linked to Holocene sea-level rise in Bermuda, indicating that sea level controls environmental development in coastal karst basins. Finally, we present a conceptual model for interpreting the sediments and environments in coastal karst basins as a result of sea-level change.

Although Dark Cave (Batu Caves, Selangor) is biologically the most intensively studied cave in the Malay Peninsula, ecological investigations are in their infancy and knowledge of species diversity is incomplete or sometimes inaccurate. A large volume of additional information will be required to informeffective conservation and management plans for this biospeleologically important site. The present paper presents a review of recent investigations of Collembola (springtails), Diplopoda (millipedes), and a general invertebrate survey. Attention is drawn to lessons that can be learnt from these studies.

A bibliographic analysis of the hypogean biological studies in Portugal is made, compiling 138 publications related to the subterranean invertebrate fauna, since its begining in 1870 until November 2012. A catalogue of hypogean endemic taxa is provided, listing 27 troglobionts and 63 stygobionts, described to be obligate hypogean and endemic from mainland Portugal (Macaronesian archipelagos excluded). The first impetus on troglobiont studies was provided by the prospections of Barros Machado during 1940’s and by an expedition of Lindberg in the spring of 1961; and the major information about stygobiont species was provided by the former Instituto de Zoologia “Dr. Augusto Nobre” from Porto University.

New collection efforts in the limestone caves of Parque Nacional Cavernas do Peruaçu, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, has brought to light specimens belonging to three orthalicoid land snail species previously unrecorded from that state: Kora nigra Simone, 2015 and Kora rupestris Salvador & Simone, 2016 (Bulimulidae), and Leiostracus subtuszonatus (Pils-bry, 1899) (Simpulopsidae). All the above species were previously known from very restricted areas or just from their type locality. A possible record of Streptartemon aff. cookeanus (F. Baker, 1914) (Streptaxidae) is also reported herein.

Cave entrances are transition zones with intermediate characteristics between epigean environments, which bear lower environmental stability, and hypogean environments, with lower food resources. Associated to these interfaces there is a specific community, capable of exploiting its unique and intermediate characteristics. This work investigated this community in a Brazilian limnestone cave, identifying its arthropod species composition and spatial distribution, and exploring its relationships with climatic and structural environment characteristics and trophic relations. An ecotone zone was identified, with 55 species found only in the ecotone, 49 species were shared with the epigean community, 37 species with the hypogean community, and 14 species were found in the three communities. Although detritus is the base of the trophic web in the entrance, light allows the establishment of some producers and even herbivores. Species diversity in the ecotone was intermediate to that of the adjacent environments. Light is the main filter that acts near the cave entrance and determines the presence and distribution of several species in the ecotone. Therefore, this region is importante for the cave ecosystem as a whole, considering that a considerable amount of trophic resources is transferred from the epigean to the hypogean environment through this area. Accordingly, conservation and management strategies regarding cave communities should incorporate actions to study and protect ecotonal communities.

This study reports on the pseudoscorpion fauna of the subterranean ecosystems of northern Arizona, U.S.A. Our work resulted in the descriptions of two new species, Hesperochernes bradybaughi sp. nov. and Tuberochernes cohni sp. nov. (Chernetidae) and the range expansion of one species, Larca cavicola (Muchmore 1981) (Larcidae). All of these species were cave-adapted and found within caves on Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument in northwestern Arizona. Based upon this work, the genus Archeolarca Hoff and Clawson is newly synonymized with Larca Chamberlin, and the following species are transferred from Archeolarca to Larca, forming the new combinations L. aalbui (Muchmore 1984), L. cavicola (Muchmore 1981), L. guadalupensis (Muchmore 1981) and L. welbourni (Muchmore 1981). Despite intensive sampling on the monument, the two new species were detected in only one cave. This cave supports the greatest diversity of troglomorphic arthropod species on the monument—all of which are short-range endemics occurring in only one cave. Maintaining the management recommendations provided by Peck and Wynne (2013) for this cave should aid in the longterm persistence of these new pseudoscorpion species, as well as the other troglomorphic arthropods.

Andrew Murray (1812-1878) was a Scottish lawyer who changed career and became a prominent figure in natural history circles in mid-Victorian Britain. His wide-ranging botanical and zoological interests included the blind insects that were being discovered in European and American caves; he was the first person known to have looked for similar animals in the British Isles, and he debated their origins with Charles Darwin. His Christian faith led him to reject evolution by Natural Selection in favour of Special Creation, and he left no significant legacy in cave biology but he was nevertheless a pioneer who deserves to be remembered.

Caves, as ecological units, are redefined in terms of the ecologically-significant scalar phenomena that, in contrast with such traditional criteria as perpetual darkness, environmental stability and oligotrophy, are the special characteristics of large cavities (macrocaverns) in rocks. When so defined, ‘caves’ are ecologically distinct from the mesocaverns and all other subterranean habitats. Some implications of this perspective for the ecological classification of animals found in subterranean habitats are briefly discussed.