Beetles Survive Ice Age

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 56, 22 March 1937, Page 14

Beetles Survive Ice Age

VIENNA — Certain species of animal life survived tbe ice age in Austria by bibernating in deep caves heated by neigbbouring thermal springs, according to evidence compiled by Prof. Hans Stroubal, Austrian entomologist, in a tborougb investigation of tbe big cavernal system near Villack, Carintbia, wbicb is rich in genuine troglodytic animals. It all started witb tbe unexpected appearance of a small beetle, Anopbtbalmus mariae, discovered in tbe "Eggerloch," a cavern in tbe mountain range of tbe Dobratseb off Villach. For many years tbis tiny insect puzzled xeseafch workjers, wbo could not account for its survival at a place wbicb bad been covered during tbe Pleistocene witb a layer of ice estimated at more than 3000 feet thick. Tbe present exploration work has found a plausible explanation in tbo existence of underground "beating occurrence of several other varieties wbicb, it is claimed, must likewise bave found refuge in tbo deptbs of eomparatively warm caves. Tbe earliest species among them were tbe troglodyte, tben a cave flea-crab, Nipbargus Stroubali, and two of its non-paying guests, suctorian infusoria, that lived on it and refused to miss tbe chance of stealing into tbe twentieth century. A second group consisted of preglacial insects wbicb bad tben inhabited tbe surface of tbe eartb. Glaeiacion, it appears, drove tbem into tbe caves where some-of tbem, adapting tbemselves to tbe underworld conditions, turned into genuine troglodytes. Examplcs of tbese are a sort of wood louse, Androniscus cavernarum tscbameri, two scorpions, Roncus stussineri and Koenenia austriaca stinyi, a scolopcndra, Bracbydesmus subterraneu.s and a wingless, double-tailed insect, ' Plusiocampa stroubali. Otbers, apparently, tired of under world life decided to return to tbe sur face, wben tbe glacial period had pasi ( ed; they were a flat w'orm, Eyncbodcmus- and tbree doubletails: Campodejij augens, Plusiocampa corcyraea and Japrx confususrar. aqifflonarls. r