QACHQAR ou LAÏDJÉH (Grotte)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A biospeleologically strange cave (note 1), called Grotte Qachqar (note 2) or Laïdjéh? (Loy Je / Cheh?) is situated at an unspecified distance west of Nurgal (note 3), approximately one kilometre from the road but about 65 m higher up, and in a cliff exposing marble and micaceous gneiss. CAVE DESCRIPTION: A low, fissure controlled cave entrance gives access to a spacious cave gallery that is more than 2 m wide, up to 2 or 3 m high, and 26 m long. The passage ends in a low and narrow crawl, hardly big enough for a child to enter. Some metres before this end, there is another crawl on the left-hand side, again difficult to penetrate. The cave floor consists of stones and dry, dusty soil. CAVE LIFE: LINDBERG (1958: 136, 1961a: 25) observed pathogen Acaria (note 4) and many long and flat cocoons and larvae, possibly of Microlepidoptera, suspended from the ceiling and walls on 5 to 6 cm long strings. LINDBERG (1958: 136) reports to have collected Isopoda, Chilopoda, Blattida, Lepidoptera (arvae), Formicida, Coleoptera (Tenebrionida, Ptinida), Diptera (Sciarida), Arachnida (Araneida), Acaria, and dead bats (Chiroptera). JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1746, 1749) list Arachnida: Acari parasiti: Argasidae: Ornithodoros papillipes BIRULA; Vertebrata: Chiroptera: Megadermidae: Megaderma lyra E. GEOFFROY.A biospeleologically strange cave (note 1), called Grotte Qachqar (note 2) or Laïdjéh? (Loy Je / Cheh?) is situated at an unspecified distance west of Nurgal (note 3), approximately one kilometre from the road but about 65 m higher up, and in a cliff exposing marble and micaceous gneiss. CAVE DESCRIPTION: A low, fissure controlled cave entrance gives access to a spacious cave gallery that is more than 2 m wide, up to 2 or 3 m high, and 26 m long. The passage ends in a low and narrow crawl, hardly big enough for a child to enter. Some metres before this end, there is another crawl on the left-hand side, again difficult to penetrate. The cave floor consists of stones and dry, dusty soil. CAVE LIFE: LINDBERG (1958: 136, 1961a: 25) observed pathogen Acaria (note 4) and many long and flat cocoons and larvae, possibly of Microlepidoptera, suspended from the ceiling and walls on 5 to 6 cm long strings. LINDBERG (1958: 136) reports to have collected Isopoda, Chilopoda, Blattida, Lepidoptera (arvae), Formicida, Coleoptera (Tenebrionida, Ptinida), Diptera (Sciarida), Arachnida (Araneida), Acaria, and dead bats (Chiroptera). JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1746, 1749) list Arachnida: Acari parasiti: Argasidae: Ornithodoros papillipes BIRULA; Vertebrata: Chiroptera: Megadermidae: Megaderma lyra E. GEOFFROY.