11.07.2015 Views

searchable PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

searchable PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

searchable PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

an elevation of about 900 meters. The third cavewhich has been biologically studied is a small, dryvertical pit at an elevation of about 740 meters.Two troglobites are among the 23 species knownfrom this region. Schizomus bartolo Rowland isclosely related to species known from San LuisPotosi and Tamaulipas. An undescribed milliped ofthe family Trichopolydesmidae is of uncertain affinities.The troglophile fauna includes the leptonetidspider Leptoneta pecki Gertsch, the scytodid spiderLoxosceles luteola Gertsch, and the pyrgodesmidmilliped 1Hyrmecodesmus ilymoides (Shear). Gru tai\orte de San Bartolo is inhabited by a large colonyof the <strong>Mexican</strong> freetail bat Tadarida brasiliensismexicana (Saussure).Calion Santa Rosa, Nuevo Leon.-This ill-definedregion is located west of the town of Iturbide andincludes the Canon San ta Rosa and adjacent mountains.The region is bounded on the west by the gypsumdeposits of the Galeana region. The geology ofthis region is complex: the principal cavernous limestoneis the Cupido Limestone, but the La Pena andother <strong>for</strong>mations are exposed (Padilla y Sanchez,1978). Only two caves have been visited, and the onlyfauna reported are aquatic species, the troglobiticcirolanid isopod Speocirolana n. sp. and its entocytheridostracod associate Sphaeromicola cirolanaellioja. This isopod is known only from this region.Cerro de la Boca, Nuevo Leon.-This range of Cretaceouslimestone is located about 20 kilometerssouthwest of Montemorelos. The only cave known isCueva de Chorros de Agua at an elevation of 700meters. It is essentially horizontal and only about40 meters long. The fauna indudes one troglobite,the leptonetid spider Leptoneta reclusa Gertsch.Among the 15 other species reported from the caveare ctenid spiders of the genus Ctenus, the pholcidspider ilIetagonia placida Gertsch, a collembolan ofthe genus Pseudosinella, the leiodid beetle Dissochaetusaztecus Szymczakowski, and staphylinid beetlesof the genera Belonuchus and Stilicolina. All ofthese species are typical members of the fauna ofthe Sierra Madre Oriental.Cuesta de Chipinque, Nuevo Leon.-Cuesta deChipinque is located immediately to the south ofMonterrey. Several small caves and sinkholes occuron the Cuesta, only two of which have received biologicalstudy. Both are <strong>for</strong>med in Cretaceous limestoneat an elevation of about 1,500 meters.Twelve species, of which one is a troglobite, havebeen identified from the caves of the region. Thetroglobitic spider Nesticus nahuanus Gertsch is alsorecorded from caves to the east and south of thisregion. The troglophile fauna includes species typicalof the fauna of the Sierra Madre Oriental, such as thecoIlembolan Pseudosinella reddelli Christiansen, theleiodid beetle Ptomaphagus (Adelops) leo Peck, andthe rhachodesmid milliped Ceuthauxus mediatorChamberlin.Galeana, Nuevo Le&n.-The Galeana region is anextensive area of karst developed on Jurassic gypsumof the OIivido Formation. The geology has beenmapped by Moor (1980). Almost all of the drainageis subterranean, with numerous sinkholes ranging insize from a few meters to more than 200 meters indiameter and up to 100 meters in depth. One of thelarger caves, Resumidero de Pablillo, receives thefloodwaters of an extensive area (Russell and Raines,1967). Seven caves, ranging in elevation from 1,740to 2,000 meters, have been studied. Since most ofthe caves are smaIl and probably of comparativelyrecent origin, few troglobites are to be expectedfrom the region.The only cave-adapted species among the 23recorded is the spider Nesticus nahuanus Gertsch,which is widespread in the northern High Sierra. Thetroglophile fauna is closely related to that of thenorthern Sierra Madre Oriental and includes spidersof the agelenid genus Tegenaria and the pholcidgenera Metagonia, Modisimus, Physocyclus, andPsilochorus. Other elements of the fauna include thewidespread collembolan Pseudosinella reddelli Christiansenand the endemic leiodid beetle Ptomaphagus(Adelops) gypsum Peck.Pico de Carrizal, Nuevo Leon.-Pico de Carrizal isthe eroded core of a Tertiary igneous intrusion whichrises more than 1,500 meters above the surroundingplain. A ring of much lower hills is developed onlower Cretaceous limestone (Russell and Raines,1967). The only cave known in this area is Gruta deCarrizal, a largely horizontal cave which has served asa coIlecting point <strong>for</strong> water falling on the mountain;an active stream emerges from the cave entrance.Three of the 25 species recorded from the cave aretroglobites: the pseudoscorpion Leucohya magnifical\luchmore, an undescribed species of the schizornidgenus Schizomus, and the opiIionid lloplobunusosorioi (Goodnight and Goodnight). The genusLeucohya is known only by this and a second speciesfrom Grutas del Palmito to the south. Hoplobunusosorioi is known from this cave, Grutas del Palmito,and Grutas de Villa de Garcia; the presence of smalleyes and its occurrence in three isolated mountainranges indicate it is a recent troglobite. The undescribedspecies of Schizomus is closely related tospecies occurring in the Sierra Madre Oriental to thesouth. The troglophile fauna also has its closestaffinities to tile fauna of the Sierra Madre Oriental to27

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!