Trip Date: 2023-10-21, Most of this trip was spent in the 35m of stream passage below the entrance boulder choke. Some observations were made in the twilight zone in the cave entrance, but this was an after thought, and not part of the original plan. I was underground for about 4.5 hours.
The water temperature was 13.7 degrees C (TG6 sensor).
I found the following:
Entrance/Twilight zone of cave. There is a little light, lots of moisture in winter. Cool all year.
Very small spider, body approx 2mm long and very difficult to see, and even more difficult to focus on!
A large, uncooperative false violin spider. It had a large beetle in its web.
Found in the web of an large Izuthunzi capense. I replaced the beetle in the web after photographing it, but the spider decided to stay well away from my light.
Small (8mm long body). I saw very few Spelaeiacris on this trip. There were two small crickets in the boulder choke, and 3 adults in the main passage of the cave.
This small fly, wings <3mm long was on the rim of 30cm diameter recess in the cave wall. The recess was filled with very fine spider web. I could not see the spider. I'm not sure of the fly was caught in the web, but it did not respond to my light, and did not move when I touched it.
Adult Spelaeiacris with missing hind leg.
Not sure if this is fungus or mineral. It felt spongy. It was well into the dark zone of the cave.
I'm not sure what I am looking at. I thought it was a bunch of amphipods eating a large dead amphipod. On closer inspection, it seems like some planaria are involved as well. When I returned with a better camera, the amphipod ball had washed down stream.
Small white Isopod, 3.7mm long found walking on a very wet wall just above a stream.
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