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Hyalocardis novicyanus
- Kingdom
- Microsynthera
- Phylum
- Plasticae
- Class
- Occlupanida
- Order
- Orthogonidectes
- Family
- Archignathidae
- Genus
- Hyalocardis
- Species
- H. novicyanus
- External morphology
small rounded isoform lateral palps. Size 21.5 mm x 23.8 mm
Species collected in Western Montana by field researcher K. Oakley, on Thomas’ English Muffins. Its sudden appearance across grocery biomes in the United States coincides with recently-described toxodentids of genus Neotessera. All these specimens share a similar bauplan; a pliable translucent integument that is polished on one side and textured on the other, and small vestigial rounded palps. All specimens collected are the same unmarked bright asureus blue color. What selective forces could have caused this rapid convergent evolution across occlupanid families? With the encroachment of occlupanopsids globally, perhaps occlupanids such as H. novicyanus are adapting to confront this new pressure. While there are many blue occlupanopsids, transparency and pliability are two qualities quantifiably absent among the cartonalia.