12.07.2015 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
  • No tags were found...

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

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

Female (figures given first <strong>for</strong> allotype, followedin parentheses by ranges <strong>for</strong> the 3 mountedparatypes). Body length 2.90 (2.88-2.95). Carapacelength 0.83 (0.81-0.86). Chelicera length 0.26(0.245-0.25). Palpal trochanter 0.40 (0.39-0.41) by0.23 (0.22-0.24); femur 0.73 (0.73-0.74) by 0.24(0.23-0.24); tibia 0.61 (0.64) by 0.24 (0.24-0.26);chela (without pedicel) 0.98 (1.01) by 0.32(0.30-0.33); hand (without pedicel) 0.53(0.53-0.54) by 0.33 (0.32-0.33); pedicel 0.07-0.08long; movable finger length 0.50 (0.50-0.53). LegIV: entire femur 0.73 (0.70-0.75) by 0.19(0.17-0.20); tibia 0.57 (0.60-0.62) by 0.10 (0.10);tarsus 0.42 (0.42-0.45) by 0.075 (0.075-0.08).Etymology.-The species is named <strong>for</strong> Cuba,where it has been found.Remarks.-Though the males of N. cubanus arelarger and have more slender appendages than themales of N. garcianus, they are quite similar to thelatter in all qualitative characters. There<strong>for</strong>e, it iscertain that they are congeneric; and the accompanyingfemales can then illustrate the female characteristicsof the genus, particularly the unique spermathecae.It is interesting to note that the specimens of N.cubanus were found in or at (en) a roost (nido) ofthe bats Tadarida minuta (Miller) and T. latieaudata(E. Geoffroy) in a palm, Coperniea vespertilionumLe6n (see Silva-Taboada and Koopman, 1964). Noecological data are available <strong>for</strong> the types of N.garcianus. All other known specimens of Neoalloehernes,from southwestern United States andCentral America, have been collected in caves. Mostof these collections are not accompanied byecological data, but of those that are all are from batguano, usually of Tadarida brasiliensis (I. Geof.St.-Hilaire).Neoalloehernes stereoreus (Turk),NEW COMBINATIONDinoeheirus stereoreus Turk, 1949:121; Hoff,1958: 28.Tejaehernes stereoreus (Turk): Hoff, 1957:84, figs.1-5; Reddell, 1965:167.Tejachernes sp.: Reddell, 1970:403.This species was described by Turk (1949) on thebasis of 2 poorly prepared specimens from Bracken<strong>Cave</strong>, Comal County, Texas, and was placed by himin the genus Dinocheirus. Hoff (1957), after studyof 11 topotypes (3 males, 8 females) and severalspecimens from Frio <strong>Cave</strong>, Uvalde County, Texas,recognized that stereoreus does not belong inDinoeheirus and he erected a new genus,Tejaehernes, to accommodate it.The descriptions by Turk and Hoff have characterizedthe species fairly well, but a few additionaldata are warranted here, based upon study of themany specimens listed below.There is much more variation in measurementsthan Hoff observed (1957:87). On average, malesare larger and more robust than females, but there isconsiderable overlap between the 2 sexes (Table 1).Though the species is quite variable in size andproportions, even <strong>for</strong> a chernetid, it is remarkablyconsistent in qualitative features. The distinctive genericcharacters are always evident: 3 setae in thecheliceral flagellum; 4 setae on the cheliceral hand,with bs denticulate and es longer, acuminate; arrangementof trichobothria on palpal chela, movablefmger with t and st close together in distal half andb and sb close together in proximal half, and fixedfinger with est proximad of middle (see Hoff,1957:figs. 2, 5); movable chelal finger with well developedvenom apparatus, nodus ramosus usuallyproximad of trichobothrium st, and small, vestigialvenom duct in fixed finger; tarsus of leg IV withoutan acuminate tactile seta but with a prominent denticulateseta about 3/4 length of segment fromproximal end; spermathecae of female "relativelyshort, a little less than the distal one-half of each in<strong>for</strong>m of a weakly swollen, pyri<strong>for</strong>m or cylindricalsac capped by a small cribri<strong>for</strong>m plate," the 2 tubesconnected to a central sac with a conspicuous, ovoidcribri<strong>for</strong>m plate (Hoff, 1957:84, figs. 3a-c). In addition,carapace and palps strongly granulate, the carapacewith 2 distinct transverse furrows and 2Table I.-Ranges of measurements (mm) and proportions of43 mounted males, 19 mounted females and 5mounted.tritonymphs of Neoallochemes stercoreus from 10caves in Texas. Abbreviations: L=Length, B=Breadth,D = Depth; • indicates length exclusive of pedicel.Males Females TritonymphsBody L 2.05-3.10 2.15-3.05 1.60-2.40Carapace L 0.73-0.94 0.71-0.90 0.64-0.68Chelicera L 0.20-0.28 0.20-0.26 0.19-0.21Palpal femur L 0.56-0.87 0.51-0.69 0.45-0.52LIB 2.15-2.70 2.60-2.95 2.10-2.20Palpal tibia L 0.52-0.79 0.46-0.62 0.41-0.47LIB 1.90-2.25 2.15-2.45 1.95-2.10Palpal chela L· 0.86-1.23 0.77-0.97 0.69-0.80L·/B 2.40-3.05 2.75-3.15 2.50-2.90Chelal hand L· 0.40-0.59 0.37-0.48 0.36-0.41L·/D 1.09-1.40 1.33-1.50 1.25-1.45Movable finger L 0.47-0.68 0.43-0.53 0.40-0.44finger Llhand L· 0.98-1.20 1.03-1.23 1.06-1.14Leg IV femur L 0.56-0.78 0.50-0.69 0.45-0.49LID 3.15-3.60 2.90-3.60 2.80-3.10143

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

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!