The invasive leafhopper Balclutha rubrostriata (Melichar) was found in abundance in Bexar County,... more The invasive leafhopper Balclutha rubrostriata (Melichar) was found in abundance in Bexar County, Texas. An arthropod diversity study along highway right-of-way in September and October, 2008 identified B. rubrostriata as the single most abundant species. This is the first peerreviewed published record of this invasive species in the mainland United States. Other records of this species in the U.S. are discussed. Diagnostic characters of the adults are provided and illustrated, and the nymph is described and illustrated for the first time. Genomic DNA was extracted from one adult and one nymph specimen, and the mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced for each and yielded identical sequences, thus confirming the association of the nymph and adult. Sequences are deposited in GenBank for future use in diagnostic or other studies.
The Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences is an international journal that accepts ma... more The Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences is an international journal that accepts manuscripts for publication in the Natural Sciences and selected areas in the Earth Sciences, such as biostratigraphy, regional and global tectonics as they relate to biogeography, and paleoclimatology, and topics in astrobiology, anthropology, as well as the history of science as they relate to institutions of natural history, to individuals, and to activities, such as expeditions and explorations, in the natural sciences. All manuscripts submitted for publication in any of the Academy's scientific publication series (Proceedings, Occasional Papers, Memoirs
Study Area We have focused all of our efforts on the Toledo District, in the far south of Belize ... more Study Area We have focused all of our efforts on the Toledo District, in the far south of Belize (Figure 1). Nearly all of the previous cave biology research in Belize has focused on the more accessible caves of the Cayo District. Permits Appropriate permits were secured from Institute of Archaeology, Archaeology Museum & Research Centre (Culvert Road, Belmopan City, Belize C.A.) and Forest Department (Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Forest Drive, Belmopan City, Belize C.A.). In addition, we worked closely with a customs broker in Belize and US Fish & Wildlife Service personnel to complete appropriate paperwork to get material legally into the United States. Requests for specific cave locations from the present study should be directed to the Belize Institute of Archeology (Belmopan).
Bioinventory of 19 caves in Great Basin National Park, and 3 outside the Park boundaries, was car... more Bioinventory of 19 caves in Great Basin National Park, and 3 outside the Park boundaries, was carried out in 2006 and 2007. This investigation reports on some 155 taxa, primarily macroinvertebrates, reported from these caves, providing notes on distribution, altitudinal range, and habitats. A GIS table was created which will allow Park resource managers to assess distributions of individual cavernicole taxa across caves in the Park. Color digital photographs are provided for many of the animals. Several new species have been discovered in the course of this work, two of which are presently being studied by taxonomic experts (a millipede and a globular springtail). The description of a third new species, the cave millipede Idagona lehmanensis, has already been published. Detailed, long-term monitoring of the fauna of Lehman Caves, the most heavily visited cave in this Park, has been initiated, and detailed analysis of the first year+ of data from the monitoring identified a number of important trends.
Five new species of scuttle fly are reported from caves in Nevada, USA, namely Aenigmatias bakera... more Five new species of scuttle fly are reported from caves in Nevada, USA, namely Aenigmatias bakerae Disney, Megaselia excuniculus Disney, M. krejcae Disney, M. folliculorum Disney, M. necpleuralis Disney and a female Megaselia that can not be named until linked to its male.
This report presents the results of a study of Solenopsis invicta, the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIF... more This report presents the results of a study of Solenopsis invicta, the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) foraging above ground near cave entrances and inside caves at Fort Hood, Texas, and examines ways in which RIFA interacts with other organisms above ground and with cave-adapted organisms below ground. Above-ground RIFA foraging intensity was found to be related to disturbance, and high numbers of foraging RIFA were correlated with low numbers of native ants. In-cave RIFA foraging was primarily limited to the entrance and twilight zones of caves with significant RIFA densities on the surface. Occasional foraging in more remote parts of caves occurred in cooler months and RIFA gained access to the cave without using the entrance apparent to humans. RIFA foraging in the entrance and twilight zones resulted in relatively little interaction with cave-limited species, but RIFA co-occurance with important species, especially the cave cricket Ceuthophilus secretus, that utilize both cave and surface habitats indicates that there are important secondary effects which have a negative impact on the cave-limited species of concern. Keystone taxa in the cave community appear to be the cave cricket, Ceuthophilus secretus, and white (cave-adapted) springtails. At baits placed above ground at night, cave crickets often arrived at the food resource before RIFA, but the arrival and subsequent recruitment of workers by RIFA corresponded to the departure, or decline in numbers, of foraging cave crickets, indicating competition for crickets and RIFA for at least some food resources. Crickets marked at the entrance of one cave were detected up to 105 m from the cave entrance, and the trend of our data suggests that some individuals may forage even farther from the cave. Adjusting for search effort and available area at differing distances from the cave entrance, about half of the crickets forage at less than 40 m from the cave entrance, and 90% percent of the crickets forage at less than 80 m from the cave entrance.
Aim We compare the phylogeographical structure among caves for co-occurring cave dwelling cricket... more Aim We compare the phylogeographical structure among caves for co-occurring cave dwelling crickets (Ceuthophilus) in two subgenera Ceuthophilus (Ceuthophilus) (hereafter, called Ceuthophilus) and Ceuthophilus (Geotettix) (hereafter, called Geotettix). In our study area (central Texas), cave-inhabiting members of the subgenus Ceuthophilus are trogloxenes, roosting in the caves but foraging above ground and occasionally moving between caves, whereas members of the subgenus Geotettix are near-obligate cave dwellers, which forage inside the caves, and only rarely are found above ground. Differences in potential dispersal ability and ecology provide a framework for understanding their effects on the phylogeographical structure and isolation of populations of cave dwelling organisms.
This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article She... more This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article Shear, William A., Taylor, Steven J., Wynne, Judson, Krejca, Jean K. (2009): Cave millipeds of the United States. VIII. New genera and species of polydesmidan millipeds from caves in the southwestern United States (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Macrosternodesmidae). Zootaxa 2151: 47-65, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.188725
The Western Slimy Salamander (Plethodon albagula) in central Texas is known from both surface and... more The Western Slimy Salamander (Plethodon albagula) in central Texas is known from both surface and cave environments. Threshold species, such as P. albagula, may be excellent candidates to study potential differences in lifehistory traits during the evolutionary transition from surface into subterranean habitats. We conducted a 29-mo markrecapture study of a surface and a cave population in Bell County, Texas, USA, to determine whether these populations differed in body size, growth rate, age at sexual maturity, and life span. We employed a growth model to estimate growth rate, age at sexual maturity, and life span, and an open population model to estimate population size, density, catchability, and survival rates. Salamanders were smaller on average and reached a smaller maximum size in the surface population compared to the cave population, which was skewed toward larger, older individuals. Growth trajectories were similar between populations, but the cave population reached sexual maturity faster (0.9-1.4 y) than the surface population (1.5-2.2 y). Survival rates were similar between populations. Although population size estimates were 10 times higher for the surface compared to the cave population, densities were similar between sites suggesting that habitat availability alone could explain population size differences. Plethodon albagula exhibits plasticity in growth, body size, and development, which may be adaptive and a function of extreme variation in surface environmental conditions. Subterranean habitats may be important for the long-term persistence of local populations, which may persist for years in subterranean habitats.
An annotated list of the 41 species of ants recorded from caves in Texas is provided. Previously ... more An annotated list of the 41 species of ants recorded from caves in Texas is provided. Previously published records are given just by cave name and county; whereas new collections are recorded by cave name, date, and collectors. More detailed information about Labidus coecus and Solenopsis invicta is provided because these are the two main ant species found in caves of central and southern Texas (the area of largest limestone karst in the state). At least 36 species of ants were recorded from Texas caves by Reddell and Cokendolpher (2001). Here, we further list an additional five species; one being an uncommon endogean species (Discothryrea testacea Roger), which is the first record from the state of Texas and the furthest west for the species. A Leptogenys sp. is recorded for the first time from the U.S.A. Illustrations of this ant are provided; it has not been identified to species and may be undescribed. Photographs and records are provided showing ants preying on a variety of foo...
Use of caves as a habitat by moths has been reported for the herald moth, Scoliopteryx libatrix (... more Use of caves as a habitat by moths has been reported for the herald moth, Scoliopteryx libatrix (Linnaeus) (Noctuidae) 1 , grannyʼs cloak moth, Speiredonia spp. (Noctuidae) 2,3 , the hop vine moth, Hypena humuli Harris (Noctuidae) 4 , guano moths (Tineidae) 5,6 , and Geometridae (e.g., Triphosa haesitata [Guenee]) 1,7-9. However, most other Lepidoptera-the butterflies, moths and skippers-are almost never thought of as trogloxenes or troglophiles. Milbertʼs Tortoiseshell, Aglais milberti (Godart) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae) is a boreal North American brush-footed butterfly, most closely related to the Palearctic butterfly Aglais urticae (Linnaeus) 10. It occurs from Alaska to Newfoundland, extending to the south-in the western United States west of the Great Plains-to southern California and New Mexico. In the eastern United States it is less frequently recorded further south than Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and west to Pennsylvania and New York 11. This butterfly is reported as being a riparian species 12,13 , and occurs in meadows, roadsides, and clearings 14,15. Adults are strong fliers 12 , and migrate to alpine habitats to forage in the summer 16 , where they can be common 17-19. Nectar sources include phlox and bee plant 20 , and, in the eastern United States, Burdock, Joe-Pye Weed, and Shrubby Cinquefoil 21. Adults return to lower altitudes to overwinter, with eggs being laid at lower altitudes in the spring 16. Larvae feed on herbaceous vegetation, especially Urtica sp. 14,15,22,23. We have recently completed a bioinventory of caves of Great Basin National Park (White Pine County, Nevada) in which we observed and collected butterflies in two caves located above timberline. In Mountain View Cave (length 16.2 meters, elevation 3413 meters), two specimens of A. milberti were collected on 18 July 2007 from dry bedrock ceiling in the twilight zone, where the
The invasive leafhopper Balclutha rubrostriata (Melichar) was found in abundance in Bexar County,... more The invasive leafhopper Balclutha rubrostriata (Melichar) was found in abundance in Bexar County, Texas. An arthropod diversity study along highway right-of-way in September and October, 2008 identified B. rubrostriata as the single most abundant species. This is the first peerreviewed published record of this invasive species in the mainland United States. Other records of this species in the U.S. are discussed. Diagnostic characters of the adults are provided and illustrated, and the nymph is described and illustrated for the first time. Genomic DNA was extracted from one adult and one nymph specimen, and the mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced for each and yielded identical sequences, thus confirming the association of the nymph and adult. Sequences are deposited in GenBank for future use in diagnostic or other studies.
The Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences is an international journal that accepts ma... more The Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences is an international journal that accepts manuscripts for publication in the Natural Sciences and selected areas in the Earth Sciences, such as biostratigraphy, regional and global tectonics as they relate to biogeography, and paleoclimatology, and topics in astrobiology, anthropology, as well as the history of science as they relate to institutions of natural history, to individuals, and to activities, such as expeditions and explorations, in the natural sciences. All manuscripts submitted for publication in any of the Academy's scientific publication series (Proceedings, Occasional Papers, Memoirs
Study Area We have focused all of our efforts on the Toledo District, in the far south of Belize ... more Study Area We have focused all of our efforts on the Toledo District, in the far south of Belize (Figure 1). Nearly all of the previous cave biology research in Belize has focused on the more accessible caves of the Cayo District. Permits Appropriate permits were secured from Institute of Archaeology, Archaeology Museum & Research Centre (Culvert Road, Belmopan City, Belize C.A.) and Forest Department (Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Forest Drive, Belmopan City, Belize C.A.). In addition, we worked closely with a customs broker in Belize and US Fish & Wildlife Service personnel to complete appropriate paperwork to get material legally into the United States. Requests for specific cave locations from the present study should be directed to the Belize Institute of Archeology (Belmopan).
Bioinventory of 19 caves in Great Basin National Park, and 3 outside the Park boundaries, was car... more Bioinventory of 19 caves in Great Basin National Park, and 3 outside the Park boundaries, was carried out in 2006 and 2007. This investigation reports on some 155 taxa, primarily macroinvertebrates, reported from these caves, providing notes on distribution, altitudinal range, and habitats. A GIS table was created which will allow Park resource managers to assess distributions of individual cavernicole taxa across caves in the Park. Color digital photographs are provided for many of the animals. Several new species have been discovered in the course of this work, two of which are presently being studied by taxonomic experts (a millipede and a globular springtail). The description of a third new species, the cave millipede Idagona lehmanensis, has already been published. Detailed, long-term monitoring of the fauna of Lehman Caves, the most heavily visited cave in this Park, has been initiated, and detailed analysis of the first year+ of data from the monitoring identified a number of important trends.
Five new species of scuttle fly are reported from caves in Nevada, USA, namely Aenigmatias bakera... more Five new species of scuttle fly are reported from caves in Nevada, USA, namely Aenigmatias bakerae Disney, Megaselia excuniculus Disney, M. krejcae Disney, M. folliculorum Disney, M. necpleuralis Disney and a female Megaselia that can not be named until linked to its male.
This report presents the results of a study of Solenopsis invicta, the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIF... more This report presents the results of a study of Solenopsis invicta, the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) foraging above ground near cave entrances and inside caves at Fort Hood, Texas, and examines ways in which RIFA interacts with other organisms above ground and with cave-adapted organisms below ground. Above-ground RIFA foraging intensity was found to be related to disturbance, and high numbers of foraging RIFA were correlated with low numbers of native ants. In-cave RIFA foraging was primarily limited to the entrance and twilight zones of caves with significant RIFA densities on the surface. Occasional foraging in more remote parts of caves occurred in cooler months and RIFA gained access to the cave without using the entrance apparent to humans. RIFA foraging in the entrance and twilight zones resulted in relatively little interaction with cave-limited species, but RIFA co-occurance with important species, especially the cave cricket Ceuthophilus secretus, that utilize both cave and surface habitats indicates that there are important secondary effects which have a negative impact on the cave-limited species of concern. Keystone taxa in the cave community appear to be the cave cricket, Ceuthophilus secretus, and white (cave-adapted) springtails. At baits placed above ground at night, cave crickets often arrived at the food resource before RIFA, but the arrival and subsequent recruitment of workers by RIFA corresponded to the departure, or decline in numbers, of foraging cave crickets, indicating competition for crickets and RIFA for at least some food resources. Crickets marked at the entrance of one cave were detected up to 105 m from the cave entrance, and the trend of our data suggests that some individuals may forage even farther from the cave. Adjusting for search effort and available area at differing distances from the cave entrance, about half of the crickets forage at less than 40 m from the cave entrance, and 90% percent of the crickets forage at less than 80 m from the cave entrance.
Aim We compare the phylogeographical structure among caves for co-occurring cave dwelling cricket... more Aim We compare the phylogeographical structure among caves for co-occurring cave dwelling crickets (Ceuthophilus) in two subgenera Ceuthophilus (Ceuthophilus) (hereafter, called Ceuthophilus) and Ceuthophilus (Geotettix) (hereafter, called Geotettix). In our study area (central Texas), cave-inhabiting members of the subgenus Ceuthophilus are trogloxenes, roosting in the caves but foraging above ground and occasionally moving between caves, whereas members of the subgenus Geotettix are near-obligate cave dwellers, which forage inside the caves, and only rarely are found above ground. Differences in potential dispersal ability and ecology provide a framework for understanding their effects on the phylogeographical structure and isolation of populations of cave dwelling organisms.
This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article She... more This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article Shear, William A., Taylor, Steven J., Wynne, Judson, Krejca, Jean K. (2009): Cave millipeds of the United States. VIII. New genera and species of polydesmidan millipeds from caves in the southwestern United States (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Macrosternodesmidae). Zootaxa 2151: 47-65, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.188725
The Western Slimy Salamander (Plethodon albagula) in central Texas is known from both surface and... more The Western Slimy Salamander (Plethodon albagula) in central Texas is known from both surface and cave environments. Threshold species, such as P. albagula, may be excellent candidates to study potential differences in lifehistory traits during the evolutionary transition from surface into subterranean habitats. We conducted a 29-mo markrecapture study of a surface and a cave population in Bell County, Texas, USA, to determine whether these populations differed in body size, growth rate, age at sexual maturity, and life span. We employed a growth model to estimate growth rate, age at sexual maturity, and life span, and an open population model to estimate population size, density, catchability, and survival rates. Salamanders were smaller on average and reached a smaller maximum size in the surface population compared to the cave population, which was skewed toward larger, older individuals. Growth trajectories were similar between populations, but the cave population reached sexual maturity faster (0.9-1.4 y) than the surface population (1.5-2.2 y). Survival rates were similar between populations. Although population size estimates were 10 times higher for the surface compared to the cave population, densities were similar between sites suggesting that habitat availability alone could explain population size differences. Plethodon albagula exhibits plasticity in growth, body size, and development, which may be adaptive and a function of extreme variation in surface environmental conditions. Subterranean habitats may be important for the long-term persistence of local populations, which may persist for years in subterranean habitats.
An annotated list of the 41 species of ants recorded from caves in Texas is provided. Previously ... more An annotated list of the 41 species of ants recorded from caves in Texas is provided. Previously published records are given just by cave name and county; whereas new collections are recorded by cave name, date, and collectors. More detailed information about Labidus coecus and Solenopsis invicta is provided because these are the two main ant species found in caves of central and southern Texas (the area of largest limestone karst in the state). At least 36 species of ants were recorded from Texas caves by Reddell and Cokendolpher (2001). Here, we further list an additional five species; one being an uncommon endogean species (Discothryrea testacea Roger), which is the first record from the state of Texas and the furthest west for the species. A Leptogenys sp. is recorded for the first time from the U.S.A. Illustrations of this ant are provided; it has not been identified to species and may be undescribed. Photographs and records are provided showing ants preying on a variety of foo...
Use of caves as a habitat by moths has been reported for the herald moth, Scoliopteryx libatrix (... more Use of caves as a habitat by moths has been reported for the herald moth, Scoliopteryx libatrix (Linnaeus) (Noctuidae) 1 , grannyʼs cloak moth, Speiredonia spp. (Noctuidae) 2,3 , the hop vine moth, Hypena humuli Harris (Noctuidae) 4 , guano moths (Tineidae) 5,6 , and Geometridae (e.g., Triphosa haesitata [Guenee]) 1,7-9. However, most other Lepidoptera-the butterflies, moths and skippers-are almost never thought of as trogloxenes or troglophiles. Milbertʼs Tortoiseshell, Aglais milberti (Godart) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae) is a boreal North American brush-footed butterfly, most closely related to the Palearctic butterfly Aglais urticae (Linnaeus) 10. It occurs from Alaska to Newfoundland, extending to the south-in the western United States west of the Great Plains-to southern California and New Mexico. In the eastern United States it is less frequently recorded further south than Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and west to Pennsylvania and New York 11. This butterfly is reported as being a riparian species 12,13 , and occurs in meadows, roadsides, and clearings 14,15. Adults are strong fliers 12 , and migrate to alpine habitats to forage in the summer 16 , where they can be common 17-19. Nectar sources include phlox and bee plant 20 , and, in the eastern United States, Burdock, Joe-Pye Weed, and Shrubby Cinquefoil 21. Adults return to lower altitudes to overwinter, with eggs being laid at lower altitudes in the spring 16. Larvae feed on herbaceous vegetation, especially Urtica sp. 14,15,22,23. We have recently completed a bioinventory of caves of Great Basin National Park (White Pine County, Nevada) in which we observed and collected butterflies in two caves located above timberline. In Mountain View Cave (length 16.2 meters, elevation 3413 meters), two specimens of A. milberti were collected on 18 July 2007 from dry bedrock ceiling in the twilight zone, where the
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