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searchable PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

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Yucatan. Specimens of Pyrgophorus are known fromGrutas de San Antonio, Campeche. The probabletroglobite Coahuilix hubbsi Taylor is discussed below.Coahuilix hubbsi TaylorCoahuilix hubbsi Taylor, 1966: 156, 163, 180-181,fig. 8-13; Minckley, 1969:39; Reddell, 1971b:77.Coahuilix: Taylor, 1966:175, 180.Type-Iocality.-Northernmost pool of Pozos de laBecerra, 14 km southwest of Cuatro Cienegas, Coahuila,Mexico.Distribution.~Known only from the type-locality.Discussion.-This species is known only by shells,but it is included here because it apparently waswashed from the subterranean habitat by the springsfeeding Pozos de la Becerra. This interesting snail is amember of the tribe Horatiini, a group known fromthe vicinity of the Mediterranean and from subterraneanwaters in Texas and Alabama. Horatia (Hauffenia)micra (Pilsbry and Ferris) has been reported fromshells in the Guadalupe River, Texas, where it hasprobably been washed from one of the numerouscaves or springs along the river. Undescribed troglobiticspecies of Horatia (Hauffenia) are known fromthe artesian well at San Marcos, Hays County, andfrom Salamander <strong>Cave</strong>, Travis County, Texas. A recordof H. (H.) micra from a cave in Alabama isprobably of an undescribed <strong>for</strong>m. The distributionof the Horatiini corresponds to the general patternexemplified also by the isopod families Cirolanidaeand Stenasellidae.Family PomatiidaeBequaert and Clench (1936, 1938) reported Choanopomalargillierti (Pfeiffer) from caves and cenotesin Yucatan. This species has recently been collectedfrom several additional Yucatan caves.Family ThiaridaeA large population of Melanoides maculata (Born)was found in Cueva de Cantil Blanco, Veracruz. Thisis a species introduced from southeast Asia.Order BasommatophoraFamily PhysidaeThree genera of physid snails are closely associatedwith the cave habitat in Mexico. Aplexa spiculata abbreviata(Fischer and Crosse) was found in Grutas deBalankanche, Yucatan (Bequaert and Clench, 1938).Species of the genus Physa are known from severalcaves in Coahuila, San Luis Potosi, and Tamaulipas,but remain unstudied. Stenophysa sp. has proven tobe a significant troglophile in several caves in Campeche.Family PlanorbidaeAlthough several planorbid snails have been reportedfrom archeological sites in Yucatan, noneappears to be inhabiting the caves. Helisoma trivolvis(Say), however, is a possible troglophile in Sotano dela Joya de Salas, Tamaulipas.Order StylommatophoraThis is doubtless the most important group ofsnails inhabiting caves in Mexico. The order is representedby about 50 species in 13 families. Only afew of the more significant species are discussedhere.Family AchatinidaeThis is among the better represented families to befound in caves, with nine species in five genera havingbeen determined to date. The genus Lamellaxis is oneof the more frequently encountered groups, withthree determined species, and many specimens fromseveral areas in Mexico await study. Lamellaxis gracilis(Hutton) is an abundant troglophile in the caves ofOaxaca, San Luis Potosi, and Yucatan. Lamellaxismartensi (Pfeiffer) was reported from Grutas de Balankanche,Yucatan, by Bequaert and Clench (1936).Lamellaxis micra (d 'Orbigny) is present in numerouscaves in Yucatan. Other species of achatinid snailknown from <strong>Mexican</strong> caves include: Leptinaria mexicana(Pfeiffer) from San Luis Potosi and Puebla;Opeas pyrgula (Schmacker and Boettger) from Grutasde Cacahuamilpa, Guerrero; O. yucatanense Pilsbryand Subulina octona (Brugiere) from Yucatan;and S. porrecta von Martens from Grutas de JuxtlalUilaca,Guerrero. All of these species are apparenttroglophiles.Family CharopidaeThe only record <strong>for</strong> this family in <strong>Mexican</strong> caves isof an undescribed genus and species found in Cuevadel Rio Texocotla, Puebla. It is presumably a troglophile.Family EndodontidaeHelicodiscus singleyanus (Pilsbry) is commonlypresent on cave walls and floors in large numbers. Ithas been found in caves in Oaxaca and Tamaulipas.79

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