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searchable PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

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Family MycetophilidaeMycetophilid flies are occasionally found in thecavemicole habitat, and three genera are known from<strong>Mexican</strong> caves: Keraplatus sp. from Sotano Encantado,Queretaro; Mycetophila sp. from Cueva de lasPerlas, Tamaulipas; and Rhymosia sp. from caves inthe Valle de los Fantasmas region, San Luis Potosi.Family PsychodidaeThree genera of psychodid flies have been found in<strong>Mexican</strong> caves. Nem.opalpus sp. was reported fromCueva Segunda del Camino a San Roque, Yucatan(Pearse, 1938b). Breder (1942) reported Psychodasp. from Cueva Chica, San Luis Potosi. Telmatoscopusalbipunctatus (Williston) was reported to be veryabundant in Grutas del Cocona, Tabasco (Ryckman,1956). The last species, at least, is a troglophile.Williams (1976a, 1976b, 1976c) has studied indetail the biology of the phlebotomine sandflies inhabitingcaves in Belize. During the course of hisstudies he collected 15,041 specimens from fourcaves in the Cayo District (Millionario <strong>Cave</strong>, Augustine<strong>Cave</strong> 1, Augustine <strong>Cave</strong> 2, and San Antonio<strong>Cave</strong>). Thirteen species were identified, two of whichbelonged to the genus Brumptomyia and 11 to thegenus Lutzomyia. Some of the species were quiterare and may have followed the collectors into thecaves. A few, however, apparently complete theirlife cycle in the caves, utilizing bats as their sourceof blood meals. The most common species in all ofthe caves was L. beltrani (Vargas and Diaz Najera).The second most abundant species in all but SanAntonio <strong>Cave</strong> was L. deleoni (Fairchild and Hertig).Lutzomyia trinidadensis (Newstead) was the secondmost abundant species in the San Antonio <strong>Cave</strong>,but was comparatively rare in the other caves. Theonly other species present in all of the caves was L.shannoni (Dyar). The remaining species were all veryrare and probably not of significance to a study ofthe cave fauna. Williams (1976a) reported the presenceof trypanosomatid flagellates and filaria wormsin L. trinidadensis from the Belize caves. The vertebratehost of the trypanosomes infecting this speciesis not known. An undetermined trypanosome speciesalso infected L. beltrani; this species is probably a batparasite.Family SciaridaeThe small gnats of the family Sciaridae are frequentlyabundant in <strong>Mexican</strong> caves. Sciara sp. hasbeen found in caves in Yucatan (Pearse, 1938b) andTamaulipas. Bradysia coprophila (Lintner) is knownfrom Sotano de Caballo Moro, Tamaulipas. Undeterminedspecies of Bradysia are known from caves inCampeche, Durango, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, San LuisPotosi, and Tamaulipas. These gnats are apparentlytroglophiles and may be so abundant as to be extremelyannoying.Family TipulidaeCrane flies are common inhabitants of caves,where they are frequently found resting on cave wallsin the vicinity of the entrance. No species have yetbeen identified, but the following genera are knownto occur in <strong>Mexican</strong> caves: Epiphragma, Helius, Limnophila,Limonia, and Teucholabis.Suborder BrachyceraFamily DolichopodidaeTwo species of this family have been found in<strong>Mexican</strong> caves: Chrysotus sp. from Salamander <strong>Cave</strong>,Tamaulipas, and Peloreopeodes cornutus Van Durzeefrom Cueva de la Puente, San Luis Potosi. Some speciesof dolichopodid fly are known to be troglophiles,but the ecologic status of the above species is unknown.Family TherevidaeTwo species of the family Therevidae have beenfound in <strong>Mexican</strong> caves. Henicomyia hubbardi Coquillettis known from Cueva de los Pajaws, Tamaulipas,and Psilocephala sp. is abundant in the caves ofYucatan (pearse, 1938b).Suborder CyclorrhaphaFamily DrosophilidaeThe family Drosophilidae is frequently collected incaves in Mexico. Drosophila repleta Wollaston hasbeen identified from Cueva Xconsacab, Yucatan(Pearse, 1938b). Undetermined species of Drosophilahave been taken from caves in Nuevo Leon, Puebla,San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, and Yucatan. In Cuevade las Perlas, Tamaulipas, enormous swarms were observedon the ceiling of the cave. Thousands of individualswere collected in dung-baited traps in Cuevade Chorros de Agua, Nuevo Leon.Family MilichiidaeThe small flies of the family Milichiidae are frequentlyfound in caves. Milichia sp. is abundant inthe caves of Yucatan (Pearse, 1938b). Pearse (1938b)also reported the presence of Desmometopa sp fromtwo caves in Yucatan. Undetermined species of the235

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