The Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion (Tartarocreagris texana) is a small cave-dwelling arachnid of the family Neobisiidae.

Additionally, it is tentatively identified in two nearby caves in Texas, but more research is necessary to accurately define the range where the species lives.

[3] Recovery plans for the species focus mostly on preserving the karst ecosystem that the pseudoscorpions live in, especially including lessening human impacts on the environment.

[4] Some inferences are made about the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpions, however, through the commonalities of the Neobisiidae family and other cave-adapted species.

[5] Tooth Cave pseudoscorpions are large for cave-dwelling species in this area, measuring about 4 mm (0.15 in) in length.

[6] The Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion also has a set of small teeth on these tiny pincers that help in latching onto its prey.

Cave-adapted pseudoscorpions have reduced pigmentation and therefore less of a reddish color due to a lack of exposure to sunlight.

[8] Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion palps are golden brown, and their body and legs are light tan.

The pseudoscorpion order also uses these silk chambers to take shelter and make brood sacs for immobile young.

[5] The main diet of the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion consists of invertivores, which are small insects, and other similar-sized arthropods,[3] such as mites.

Because the male leaves sperm in sacs that a female later picks up with specialized organs, the two individuals do not meet each other, but produce offspring together.

Karst environments also ensure that there is proper drainage of water from the cave to further maintain the prime humidity level.

[12] The caves are currently in peril of falling in due to the urbanization of the local communities, so the populations may shrink in the near future.

[8] The species was first listed as endangered on September 16, 1988, due to restricted distribution and threats from urban development.

Karst habitats are specifically threatened by urbanization due to the dangers of cave infilling, drainage pattern changes, chemical contamination, and disruption of surface plant and animal distribution.

[14] The Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion is also threatened by invasive predators and competitors, especially the red imported fire ant.

The tawny crazy ant species was first documented in Travis County in 2002, and is potentially a threat to the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion.

This invasive species has the potential to disrupt native ecosystems in a similar way as the red imported fire ant.

Its limited distribution and reliance on a specific ecosystem make it vulnerable to population declines and decrease the likelihood of establishing new colonies.

[15] The Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion was listed under the ESA as endangered on September 16, 1988, with a recovery plan formed in 1994.

[14] The listing cited human urbanization as a leading cause of the endangerment of the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion.

The next review in 2018 determined that while there was a recovery plan in place with the goal of down-listing the species, there were no delisting criteria identified.

The review suggested that research on similar karst invertebrates could be applied to the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion to develop delisting criteria.

[2] Due to a lack of research and study of the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion, there were no updates to the biology and habitat, abundance, population trends, demographic features, demographic trends, genetics, variation, taxonomic classification, or changes in nomenclature in the most recent species status assessment.

There is no data specific to the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion, although research on troglodytic arachnids suggests that they may travel through a network of underground voids.

The assessment used measurements of surface habitats to estimate Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion population information.

[2] The recovery plan for the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion aims to down-list the species from endangered to threatened.

[14] It was originally approved on August 25, 1994, and developed by Lisa O'Donnell, Ruth Stanford, and William Elliot of the Austin Texas US Fish and Wildlife Service.

[16] The Endangered and Threatened Animals of Texas publication in 2003[5] lists many preservation actions for karst invertebrates that apply to the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion.

This would also help to control the red imported fire ant population that threatens the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion.