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searchable PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

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and tibia 5.4 times as long as deep. Tarsus of leg IVwith a short, acuminate tactile seta 3/4 length ofsegment from proximal end.Measurements (mm).-Body length 2.75. Carapacelength 0.805. Chelicera length 0.275. Palpaltrochanter 0.435 by 0.225; femur 0.715 by 0.235;tibia 0.62 by 0.26; chela (without pedicel) 1.18 by0.375; hand (without pedicel) 0.58 by 0.35; pedicel0.13 long; movable finger length 0.62. Leg IV: entirefemur 0.65 by 0.155; tibia 0.54 by 0.10; tarsus0.43 by 0.08.Etymology.-The species is named incertus becauseof its uncertain taxonomic position.Remarks.-This species is tentatively placed inNeoallochernes on the basis of these characters: 3setae in the cheliceral flagellum; only 4 setae oncheliceral hand, sbs lacking; location of "tactileseta" on tarsus of leg IV at distal 3/4; and possessionof a vestigial venom duct in the fixed chelalfinger. However, it differs from others in that genusin several important characters and may well belongto an hitherto undescribed genus. Some differencesfrom other known members of Neoallochernes arethe following: on the cheliceral hand, seta bs isacuminate rather than denticulate and es is shorterthan bs rather than longer; on the tarsus of leg IVthe "tactile seta" is acuminate rather than denticulate;on the movable chelal finger, the distance betweentrichobothria t and st is twice as great as thedistance between band sb rather than the 2 distancesessentially equal, and the nodus ramosus of thevenom dust is midway between t and st rather thanproximad of st; on the fixed chelal finger, est is distadof the middle rather than proximad, and thegroup eb, esb, ib and isb lies mostly distal to thelevel of the last marginal tooth rather than proximalto the last tooth; and eyespots are apparently absentrather than present. These differences probably indicatethat the new species represents a new genus, butI prefer not to name it now on the basis of a single,damaged male specimen. The differences should beconfirmed on additional material and the nature ofthe genitalia, especially of the female, should beelucidated. At hand are a few specimens from CentralAmerica which appear to be congeneric and mayallow a proper characterization of the taxon.Genus Hesperochernes ChamberlinHesperochernes Chamberlin, 1924b:89; Muchmore,1974:27.Representatives of the genus Hesperochernes arewidely distributed through the temperate andtropical parts of North and Central America. Threespecies have been reported previously from NewMexico, but only one from Texas (Hoff, 1958).Many of the <strong>for</strong>ms are found in close associationwith small mammals, especially packrats, andseveral are recorded from caves, usually on batguano.Hesperochernes occidentalis (Hoff and Bolsterli)Pseudozaona occidentalis Hoff and Bolsterli,1956: 170, figs. 1-3; Hoff, 1958:24.Hesperochernes occidentalis (Hoff and Bolsterli):Muchmore, 1974:30.This species was first described from caves inWashington County, Arkansas. It has since beenfound in many other caves in the Ozark Region ofArkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma (unpublished).There are 2 collections of H. occidentalis fromTexas, both from Edwards County: 4 specimens (1male, 2 females, 1 tritonymph) from Wyatt <strong>Cave</strong>, 2miles north of Wheat <strong>Cave</strong>, 21 September 1963 (J.Reddell and D. McKenzie); 3 specimens (1 male, 1female, 1 tritonymph from nest of Petrochelidon fulva(Vieillot) in Dunbar <strong>Cave</strong>, 22 July 1976 (R.Martin). The species is highly variable in size andproportions and these individuals fit easily into theknown ranges of measurements.Hesperochernes riograndensis Hoff and ClawsonHesperochernes riograndensis Hoff and Clawson,1952:19, figs. 11-12; Hoff, 1958:23.A number of specimens collected from caves inwestern Texas and eastern New Mexico appear tobelong to this species, which has been known previouslyonly from "food storage of a kangaroo rat(Dipodomys) " in Socorro County, New Mexico(Hoff and Clawson, 1952:23). Most of them arelarger than the types described by Hoff and Clawson,but they have the same general shape and proportions.On the other hand, some of them havesome characters similar to those of H. canadensisHoff and H. utahensis Hoff and Clawson, both ofwhich have been reported in the southern RockyMountain region. Until a comprehensive revision ofthe western species of Hesperochernes is completed,it is impossible to be certain of the identities of mostindividuals.Present collections include: 1 female from"below dome 250 feet from entrance" in Blackstone<strong>Cave</strong>, Terrell County, Texas, 4 June 1963 (J.146

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