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One of the least studied eyes of any beetle taxon are those of the scarabaeoid family Passalidae. Some members of this family of around 600 species worldwide are known to have superposition eyes (Aceraius grandis; A. hikidai) while others have apposition eyes (Cylindrocaulus patalis ; Ceracupes yui). In C. yui of nearly 3 cm body length (this paper) the retinal layer is very thin and occupies approximately half of an ommatidium's total length, the latter amounting to 284 and 266 μm in the respective dorsal and ventral eye regions. The two eye regions are almost completely separated by a prominent cuticular canthus, a feature usually associated with the presence of a tracheal tapetum, a clear-zone between dioptric and light-perceiving structures and a regular array of smooth facets. In C. yui the facets are smooth (but not very regular) and a tracheal tapetum and a clear-zone are absent. The rhabdoms, formed by 8–9 retinula cells, are complicated, multilobed structures with widths and lengths of around 15 and 80 μm, respectively. The combination of some superposition and mostly apposition eye features, e.g., extensive corneal exocones, relatively small number of ommatidia, absence of a clear-zone and tracheal bush, suggest an adaptation of this species' eye to the fossorial lifestyle of C. yui , and, thus, a manifestation of the passalid eye's plasticity. • First detailed ultrastructural study of the eye of a passalid from Taiwan. • Description of a scarabaeoid beetle eye in which apposition features dominate. • Eye adaptations to accommodate the species' fossorial lifestyle. • Compromise between adaptations to protect the eye against physical damage and to retain some sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]