New big-eyed creature found lurking in ancient Roman Mine
Where were the bugs?
Inside the mine, the team found small crustaceans on decomposing wood chunks – which turned out to be Baeticoniscus carmonaensis, or the Carmona isopod, a brand new species. Isopods are a diverse group of invertebrates which look like other pill bugs such as woodlice and belong to a category best known for including crabs, lobsters and shrimp – crustaceans (Picture: Cifuentes, Enrique Peña Pérez and Álvaro Luna (2025))
How big are the bugs?
But these creatures are small – at about 0.1 inches in length. They have large black eyes, with segmented bodies with antennae. They are colourless. The researchers say the Carmona isopods were ‘found in elevated areas within the gallery system on or within pieces of rotten wood, likely fallen from wells connected to the underground galleries’ and they were ‘moving and hiding within the crevices of this decomposing material’ (Picture: Cifuentes, Enrique Peña Pérez and Álvaro Luna (2025))
New big-eyed creature found lurking in ancient Roman Mine
The study said: ‘This new species of Baeticoniscus represents one of the few cases worldwide in which the description of a new taxon has been described in a subterranean archaeological site. The discovery of a new species in an urban underground environment … can help draw attention to these often overlooked ecosystems, particularly in cities with archaeological sites, canals, and tunnels’ (Picture: Cifuentes, Enrique Peña Pérez and Álvaro Luna (2025))
The researchers named the new species after where they were discovered and so far seem to be the only place where they have been found. Although the new species were identified by the eyes, texture, body shape and other subtle physical features, no DNA analysis was included (Picture: Cifuentes, Enrique Peña Pérez and Álvaro Luna (2025))
What does the mine feature?
The San Antón water mine, in Carmona, was designed for the storage and use of groundwater, and is a system that still has a permanent stream. The researchers say that it was used until recent times, although do not give a date, and say it supplied water to residents, orchards and hydraulic infrastructures. In total, it has a main gallery or aqueduct, extending 880 meters and also features five forks and three short galleries (Picture: Getty)
