Anophthalmus hitleri
{{short description|Species of beetle}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Anophthalmus hitleri HabitusDors.jpg
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| taxon = Anophthalmus hitleri
| authority = Scheibel, 1937{{Cite journal |last=Scheibel |first=O. |date=1937 |title=Ein neuer Anophthalmus aus Jugoslawien |trans-title=A new Anophthalmus from Yugoslavia |url=https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Entomologische-Blaetter_33_0438-0440.pdf |journal=Entomologische Blätter |language=de |volume=33 |issue=6 |pages=438–440}}
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Anophthalmus hitleri ({{langx|sl|Hitlerjev brezokec}}) is a species of blind cave beetle found only in about fifteen humid caves in Slovenia. The blind cave beetle shares its genus with 41 other species and 95 different subspecies.{{cite web |url=http://rosegeorge.com/site/a-beetle-called-hitler/ |title=A beetle called Hitler |last=George |first=Rose |authorlink=Rose George |date=April 2002 |website=rosegeorge.com |accessdate=11 June 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210215636/http://rosegeorge.com/site/a-beetle-called-hitler/ |archive-date=10 February 2009}} Members of its subfamily (Trechinae) are, like most Carabidae, predatory, so the adults and larvae of A. hitleri are presumed to be predators on smaller cave inhabitants.
Name
The scientific name of the beetle comes from an Austrian collector, Oskar Scheibel, who was sold a specimen of a then-undocumented species in 1933. Its species name was made a dedication to Adolf Hitler, who had recently become Chancellor of Germany. The dedication did not go unnoticed by Hitler, who sent Scheibel a letter showing his gratitude. The genus name comes from Ancient Greek ἀν- (an-), meaning "lack", and ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmós), meaning "eye".
The species exhibits no notable characteristics, such as extravagant colors or unusual antennae, but is of interest to beetle collectors (and also collectors of Hitler memorabilia) as a result of its name.{{cite journal |title=ICE Breakers |first=May |last=Berenbaum |authorlink=May Berenbaum |journal=American Entomologist |volume=56 |issue=3 |pages=132–133 & 185 |url=http://ae.oxfordjournals.org/content/ae/56/3/132.full.pdf |doi=10.1093/ae/56.3.132 |year=2010 |access-date=2017-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820051510/http://ae.oxfordjournals.org/content/ae/56/3/132.full.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-20 |url-status=live |doi-access=free }} Some have claimed that this is putting the beetle in danger of extinction,{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/fans-exterminate-hitler-beetle-6232054.html |title=Fans exterminate 'Hitler' beetle |last=Elkins |first=Ruth |date=20 August 2006 |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=11 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616204433/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/fans-exterminate-hitler-beetle-6232054.html |archive-date=16 June 2018 |url-status=live }} but others believe this claim greatly exaggerates the actual threat posed by collecting.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/26/science/taxonomy-beetle-insects-hitler.html |title=What to do with a bug named Hitler?|last=Lidz |first=Franz |date=26 December 2023 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=10 January 2024 }}
While many have suggested the species be renamed, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature's principle of priority holds that the first name validly published for a species is its correct name, and while the ICZN strongly discourages authors from publishing names that could be considered offensive, this does not in general allow for a name perceived as offensive to be invalidated once it has been published. On the topic of A. hitleri
{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/09/24/hitler-beetle-offensive-species-names/ |title=Scientists want to rename the Hitler beetle - not for the reason you think |last=Kindy |first=Dave |date=24 September 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=11 October 2023 }}
See also
References
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Category:Beetles described in 1937