Cave Invertebrate Atlas Project
The Cave Invertebrates of the Western Cape Atlas Project documents the invertebrate fauna of caves in South Africa’s Western Cape Province and neighbouring regions. Observations are logged through iNaturalist and linked to specific cave localities where known. This page summarises what has been found and where — for individual observation records see the iNaturalist link below.
Precise cave entrance coordinates are not published. Observations are tagged only to a level of detail that indicates the general area.
973Observations
263Taxa
306Research grade
10+Cave systems
2004–2025Dataset span
Full observation records are on iNaturalist —
View all cave observations by Peter Swart →
Animals Found
Observations span six major invertebrate groups. Summaries below; follow the iNaturalist link for species-level detail.
Arachnida — Spiders & relatives
5+ species
- Spermophora peninsulae — Cave Pholcid Spider
- Cave Orbweb Spider
- Cave Sheetweb Spider (Hahnia sp.)
- Cave Trinon Harvestman
- Cave-associated mites
Malacostraca — Cave Crustaceans
4 species
- Paramelita capensis — Cape Cave Amphipod
- Spelaeogriphus lepidops — Table Mountain Cave Shrimp
- Styloniscus tabulae — cave isopod
- Small undescribed endemic isopod
Insecta — Insects
4+ taxa
- Spelaeiacris sp. — Cave Cricket
- Bristletails (Archaeognatha)
- Rove Beetles (Staphylinidae)
- Moth caterpillars & pupae (Lepidoptera)
Onychophora — Velvet Worms
1 species
- Peripatopsis alba — White Velvet Worm
Platyhelminthes — Flatworms
1+ taxa
- Planaria (cave streams and pools)
Other invertebrates
misc.
- Diplopoda — millipedes
- Chilopoda — centipedes
- Entognatha — diplurans & springtails
Regions Covered
| Region | Key cave systems | Representative species | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cape Peninsula Table Mountain Kalk Bay Mtn Wynberg Ridge |
Wynberg Cave System Tartarus Cave Devil’s Pit Cave Paramelita Cave Vivarium Cave Bobby’s Grotto Ronan’s Well Cave Prism Cave |
Paramelita capensis, Spelaeogriphus lepidops, Spermophora peninsulae, Peripatopsis alba, Styloniscus tabulae, Spelaeiacris sp., Planaria | Primary focus area. The Wynberg system is the most important site for cave fauna in South Africa; all troglobitic species here are Cape Peninsula endemics. |
|
Southern Cape Garden Route Groot Winterhoek |
Natures Valley Point Cave Die Hel A / Vlermuis Cave (Groot Winterhoek) |
Moth caterpillars & pupae, cave spiders, amphipods, white worms | Secondary survey area. Coastal and mountain cave habitats with bat-associated guano fauna. |
Conservation Notes
Several species recorded by this project are of significant conservation concern:
| Species | Group | Status | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spelaeogriphus lepidops | Spelaeogriphacea (crustacean) | Endangered | Known only from Wynberg Cave System |
| Paramelita capensis | Amphipoda (crustacean) | Data Deficient (IUCN) | Cape Peninsula cave streams |
| Peripatopsis alba | Onychophora | Restricted-range endemic | Table Mountain quartzite caves |