Adamastor Cave
Trip Date: 2024-05-18
Cave Zones
I currently use the field "Cave Zone" to indicate where in cave the observation was made. I have used the following definitions:
- Entrance: Where there is enough light for some vascular plants to grow.
- Twilight: Where there is not enough light for vascular plants, but some mosses may grow/
- Dark Zone: No light at all
It appears that another zone between Twilight and Dark is needed. This 'Transition Zone' would describe the zone between Twilight and Dark, and would be characterized by being mostly dark, for most of the day, but where some dim reflected light may be seen at certain times of the day. The reason for this extension is that this area seems to be a popular habitat.
Observations
Photos / Sounds
What
Round-backed Millipedes (Superorder Juliformia)Observer
peterswartDescription
Juvenile millipede. Approx 12mm long.
Photos / Sounds
What
Table Mountain Cave Cricket (Spelaeiacris tabulae)Observer
peterswartDescription
There were lots of cave crickets throughout the cave. I stopped counting after 50.
Photos / Sounds
What
Typical Cobweb Spiders (Genus Theridion)Observer
peterswartDescription
This is a small version of this species. Others of the same species, of all sizes were common in the dark part of the entrance chamber.
Photos / Sounds
What
Cave Daddylonglegs (Spermophora peninsulae)Observer
peterswartDescription
Less common than Metellina in this cave. Mostly confined to webs between piles of boulders.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus MachiloidesObserver
peterswartDescription
An adult and a juvenile were on the wall of the cave in the large entrance chamber. Although this part of the cave is not completely dark all the time, light levels are very low. The other specimens were hidden under the boulder collapse that forms the entrance to the cave.
Photos / Sounds
What
Typical Cobweb Spiders (Genus Theridion)Observer
peterswartDescription
The smaller spiders seemed to put their webs parallel to a wall or ceiling, while the larger spiders put their webs across drafty gaps between boulders.
Photos / Sounds
What
Metellina haddadiObserver
peterswartDescription
This spider's web was between the rocks in a pile of boulders.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus MachiloidesObserver
peterswartDescription
Stylus on second and third leg pairs. Claws => male. There were two bristletails well into the entrance boulder choke. This habitat is very similar to observation https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/204799135. The entrances to the caves are holes filled with a pile of boulders, and the bristletails are found on the bottom of the lowest boulders. There are probably more living inside the boulder choke in cavities too small for me to access.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus MetellinaObserver
peterswartDescription
Small spider with its web parallel to the cave ceiling.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus HahniaObserver
peterswartDescription
Very small spider, approx 2mm head+body
Photos / Sounds
What
Flat-backed Millipedes (Order Polydesmida)Observer
peterswartDescription
I found 8 of these, all about the same size. 12mm long -13mm long. 6 were on the same rock in an area approx 30cmx30cm.
Photos / Sounds
What
Table Mountain Staglike Ground Beetle (Pachyodontus languidus)Observer
peterswartDescription
This beetle was deep into the cave, and probably did not use the same entrance I did. It was lying in the middle of a sandy passage, on its back, and trying to right itself. There was no obvious place it could have fallen from unless it was walking along the cave ceiling. Much closer to the cave entrance, in the twilight zone, was a patch full of beetle carcasses. It looked like something brought them there to feed on them.
Photos / Sounds
What
Planarians (Order Tricladida)Observer
peterswartDescription
There were lots of these planaria in the very shallow (5mm deep in some places) stream running through the cave. There were 8 in one 10cmx10cm puddle. Most were white in colour, but somewhere gray.
Photos / Sounds
What
Cape Cave Amphipod (Paramelita capensis)Observer
peterswartDescription
The larger Paramelita was eating the remains of the smaller. When I disturbed it, it swam off for a while, then returned to feed again.
Photos / Sounds
What
Cape Cave Amphipod (Paramelita capensis)Observer
peterswartDescription
The stream in the cave at this time of year is very shallow, sometimes less than 5mm deep, with 10-15cm deep pools in places. Some of the pools were completely devoid of Paramelita, while the next pool less than a metre away was full of them. Most were about 8mm long, so the few 13mm+ long specimens stood out.
Photos / Sounds
What
Small Cannibal Snail (Nata vernicosa)Observer
peterswartDescription
I found lots of partial snail shells, but this was the only whole snail shell. I did not see any live snails.
Photos / Sounds
What
Flat-backed Millipedes (Order Polydesmida)Observer
peterswartDescription
Found inside the entrance boulder choke.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus AnyphopsObserver
peterswartDescription
The first photograph shows the crack the spider was hiding in. when disturbed it ran off into a pile of boulders.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus MachiloidesObserver
peterswartDescription
Found inside a pile of boulders.
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