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

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

egions and is referred to by Smith (1968) as kegelkarst.This is very similar to karst <strong>for</strong>ms also referredto as mogote karst and cockpit karst. It is characterizedby isolated conical hills separated by funnelshapeddolinas, usually floored with red soil. In otherparts of the region karst development is less matureand is characterized by shallower dolinas with moregentle slopes. Elevations range from about 300 tomore than 1,500 meters. Most of the caves are rathersmall and generally horizontal, but Grutas de Lanquinis extensive. This commercial cave, a map of which isin Gurnee (1968), contains more than a kilometer ofsurveyed passage. A large stream flowing through partof the cave emerges below the entrance to becomethe Rio Lanquin.The Lanquin region is the best-studied part ofGuatemala, with 47 species, four of which are troglohites,having been identified to date. The only aquatictroglobite is an undetermined flatworm of the familyDimarcusidae. The terrestrial troglobites are the hyidpseudoscorpion Mexobisiumguatemalense Muchmore,the collembolan Pseudosinella Jinca Christiansen, andthe leiodid beetle Ptomaphagus (Adelops) giaquintoiJ eannel. The flatworm and IH. guatemalense areknown only from this region, but the other speciesare also found in the adjacent Senahu region. Endemictroglophiles include the pseudothelphusid crabIsabellagordonia (Isabellagordonia) longipes Pretzmann,the amblypygid Paraphrynus emaciatus Mullinex,the pholcid spider Modisimus gracilipes Gertsch,the scytodid spider Loxosceles guatemala Gertsch,and the gryllid cricket Arachnomimus cavicolaSaussure. More widespread troglophiles include theoonopid spider Triaeris patellaris Bryant, the pholcidspider Metagonia blanda Gertsch, the pyrgodesmidmilliped Cryptyma guatemala Shear, and scydmaenidbeetles of the genera Euconnus (Napochus) andScydmaenus.Raxruja, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.-This region,located in the vicinity of the town of Raxruja innorthern Alta Verapaz, has been studied by Frenchspeleologists. The geology, physiography, and speleogenesisof the region have been discussed by Courbonand Dreux (1976). The principal <strong>for</strong>mations in theregion are the Sepur, Campur, and Coban Formationsof Cretaceous age. Karst development, which is typicalof that known as kegelkarst, is primarily <strong>for</strong>medon the Campur Formation. Of the three caves studiedin the area, two are quite small. The third is the Sistemadel Rio Candelaria which represents the undergroundcourse of the Rio Candelaria and actuallyconsists of several isolated caverns having a total ofabout 17 kilometers of passage. A map of the cave isin Delamare Deboutteville and Juberthie (1976).Essentially nothing has yet been published on thecave fauna of this region and only four species haveso far been identIfied. Two species of shrimp otthe genus Macrobrachium have been recorded <strong>for</strong>Sistema del Rio Candelaria. The crayfish Procambarus(Austrocambarus) pilosimanus (Ortmann) is atroglophile in the other caves of the region.Senahu. Alta Verapaz. Guatemala.-This region islocated to the southeast of the Lanquin region inextreme eastern Alta Verapaz. The geology, physiography,and speleogenesis of the region are discussedby Smith (1968). The principal cave-<strong>for</strong>ming limestonein the vicinity of Senahu is the Chochal Formationof Permian age. Karst development is less welldeveloped than in the Lanquin region, but numerouswidely spaced hills surrounding sinks occur. At higherelevations the terrain is characterized by shallow dolinas.Of the five caves investigated in this region, allare rather small with the exception of the Sistema deSeamay-Sejul which contains a stream and more than1.5 kilometers of surveyed passage.Of 18 species identified from the region, eight aretroglobites. The only aquatic troglobite is the bogidiellidamphipod Bogidiella holsingeri Ruffo and VignaTaglianti. Two species of terrestrial troglobite, thecollembolan Pseudosinella Jinca Christiansen and theleiodid beetle Ptomaphagus (Adelops) giaquintoiJeannel, are shared with the Lanquin region. Therhachodesmid milliped Aceratophallus scutigeroidesShear has been tentatively identified from a cave inChiapas. The remaining species are all endemic tothis region. These include the chthoniid pseudoscorpionAphrastochthonius verapazanus Muchmore,the telemid spider Telema mayana Gertsch, the tridontomidmilliped Tridontomus loomisi Shear, andthe carabid beetle Speocolpodes franiai Barr. Tridontomusloomisi belongs to a family of millipedsknown only from this region. Speocolpodes is anendemic genus but is closely allied to Platynus(Mexisphodrus) in southern and eastern Mexico.The remaining species are both typical representativesof the cavernicole fauna of southern Mexico.The troglophile fauna includes the pseudothelphusidcrab Isabellagordonia (Phrygiopilus) acanthophallus(Smalley), a diplurid spider of the genus Euagrus,the pholcid spider Metagonia blanda Gertsch, andthe pyrgodesmid milliped Cryptyma guatemala Shear.Altos Cuchumatanes. Huehuetenango. Guatemala.-The Altos Cuchumatanes is a range of mountainsextending across much of southern Alta Verapaz.The top of the range is plateau-like with extensivedevelopment of dolina karst. The geology of part ofthe region is shown on a geologic map published bythe Guatemala Instituto Geografico Nacional (1968b).53

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

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!