searchable PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

Type-Iocality.-Cueva del Guano, 10 km NE ValleNacional. Oaxaca, Mexico.Distribution.-Known only from the type-locality.See Fig. 16.Discussion.-This attractive crayfish has the eyesgreatly reduced. It was found in association with Neopalaemonnahuatlus. Procambarus oaxacae is consideredto be most closely related to P. rodrigueziHobbs and may even prove to be only subspecificallydistinct when collections from intermediate areas aremade. The crayfish from this cave are used frelluentlyby local inhabitants of the area for food. It is extremelyeasy to catch, but fortunately much of thestream it inhabits is quite deep and other parts ofthe stream are very difficult of access because of lowclearance between the cave ceiling and the water. Thestream contains much guano, an important factor inexplaining the large population of both species ofdecapod in this cave.Procambarus (A ustrocambarus) oaxacae reddelliHobbsProcambarus (Austrocambarus) oaxacae reddelliHobbs, 1973a:33, 35,37-38, fig. 6·8; Hobbs et al.,1977:6,8,11,12,17,26,52,67,118,119,152,fig. 53.Troglobitic crayfish: Reddell, 1973d:90.Procambarus oaxacae reddelli: Hobbs, 1973b:73.Type-Iocality.-Cueva del Nacimiento del Rio SanAntonio, 10 km SSW Acatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico.Distribution.-Known from four caves in Oaxacaand one in Veracruz. See Fig. 16.Records.-Oaxaca: ?Cueva del Guayabo and Cuevadel Nacimiento del Rio San Antonio.New records.-Oaxaca: Cueva de la Finca andCueva de Las Maravillas; Veracruz: Cueva de Corralde Piedra (det. H. H. Hobbs, Jr.).Discussion.-Specimens trom Cueva del Guayaboare only tentatively assigned to this SUbspecies. Theyshow some in termediate characters between P. o.oaxacae and P. o. reddelli. The crayfish in Cueva delGuayabo were collected from small pools apparentlyleft from a rise in a postulated lower stream. In Cuevadel Nacimiento del Rio San Antonio crayfish wereextremely abundant throughout the length of thislarge cave. They tended to congregate especiallyabout small areas of guano left by bats which roostedin small groups on the ceiling. The crayfish in thiscave are also used for food by local inhabitants. InCueva de Corral de Piedra crayfish were found onlyin a side passage which led to an apparent sealed entranceinto which organic debris had washed.Procambarus (Austrocambarus) rodriguezi HobbsProcambarus rodriguezi Hobbs, 1943: 198, 203-206,fig. 15-26; Villalobos, 1948:182; Rioja, 1953a:288, 289, 292; Villalobos, 1953:346, 356, 364,365, 372; Villalobos, 1954:303, 306, 321-323,363; Villalobos, 1955:2, 20, 160, 161, 176-178,218; Nicholas, 1962:173; Hobbs and Villalobos,1964:313; Hobbs, 1966:71; Hobbs, 1969a:161;Hobbs, 1971:3, 12, 30-31; Reddell, 1971a:~17,219; Reddell, 1971b:25; Rioja, 1971:530; Hobbsand Barr, 1972:1, 4; Hart and Hart, 1974:22;lIohLJs et al., 1977:7,9.Paracambarus rodriguezi: Rioja, 1953a:293 (errone­OilS combination).Procambarus (AustrC'cambarus) rodriguezi: Hobbs,IY72a:-Hl, 152, fig. 22c; Hobbs, 1973a:25, 38;lI(Jbh~, 11)74:45,123, fig. 174; Hobbs, 1975:276;IIl)bLJ~ et al., 1977:6, 12, 17, 26. 118, 120-121,152, fig. 54.Procambarus (Austrocambarus) rodiguezi: Hobbs,1972b:6 (erroneous spelling).Troglobitic procambarid: Caine, 11)74:488.Type-Iocality.-Cave, 4 kilometers west northwestof the hacienda at Potrero Viejo, Paraje Nuevo, Veracruz,Mexico.Distribution.-Known definitely only from thetype-locality. See Fig. 16.Records.-Veracruz: Cave 4 km WNW of PotreroViejo and ?Cueva del Ojo de Agua Grande.Discussion.-The type·locality of this species hasbeen stated to be "Cueva del Agua" and "Cueva delOjo de Agua Grande," but the brief description ofthe type-locality as given by Hobbs (1943) does notfit Cueva del Ojo de Agua Grande. Furthermore,Cueva del Ojo de Agua Grande has no habitat suitablefor crayfish. It contains only a single passage and thiscontains a rapid rock-floored stream. A single juvenilecrayfish was seen trapped in a tiny drip pool in thelatter cave where flood water apparently isolated it.It must be assumed that the type-locality has notbeen rediscovered.Section BrachyuraFamily GrapsidaeThe only species of grapsid crab known from thecaves of Central America is Sesarma (Holometopus)roberti H. Milne Edwards. It was recently collected inCueva de la Coche, Izabal, Guatemala.Family PseudothelphusidaeIn addition to the three remarkable troglobiticcrabs of the genus Typhlopseudothelphusa, fourpseudothelphusid crabs are known as apparent troglo-112