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Proceedings California Academy of Sciences PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Vol. 42, No. 11, pp. 315-322, 5 figs. June 24, 1981 STUDIES ON CAVE HARVESTMEN OF THE CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES OF BANKSVLA By Thomas S. Briggs Research Associate, Department of Entomology, California Academy ofSciences, San Francisco, California 94/18 and DarreD Ubick Biology Department, San Jose Stale University, San Jose, California 95//4 ABSTRACT: New ecological and biogeographic information on Sierra Nevada cave harvestmen iD Banksula was obtained while environmental impact and mitigation work was being done for the Army Corps of Engineers New Melones Dam project. Isolation appears to be tbe principal factor leading to speciation in Banksula. but the distribution or species in the vicinity of the New Melones Reservoir is not readily explained. Four new species of Banksu'" are described: B. rudolphi, B. martinorum, B. grubbsi, and B. elUolti. INTRODUCTION 1975 when a mine tunnel in limestone was se­ Troglobitic organisms are scarce in California lected for transplanting biota, including Bank­ caves, possibly due to the relatively small size sula grahami and B. melones, from McLean's and geologic youth of these habitats. Laniatorid Cave, the largest of the threatened caves. As harvestmen of the genus Banksula are distinc­ additional workers transplanted animal and tive because they are relatively abundant obli­ plant life from McLean's Cave and studied other gate cavernicoles of the Calaveras Formation of nearby caves, some distributional, behavioral, the Sierra Nevada. Intensive coUecting by bio­ and ecological information were obtained which speleological investigators contracted by the allow us to present some biogeographic discus­ Army Corps of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife sion of Banksula. Service, and the Office of Endangered Species Briggs (1974) reviewed and expanded the ge­ has yielded numerous new records and four new nus Banksula and described four species with species of Banksula. Project teams worked pri­ functional eyes. He showed that the single pre­ marily in the vicinity of the New Melones Res­ viously known species, Banksula californica ervoir site on the Stanislaus River, Calaveras (Banks), lacked corneas and retinae. His con­ and Tuolumne counties, where several caves are tention that all Banksula are confined to caves threatened by completion of the New Melones is supported by all subsequent investigations. Dam. Biological surveys were begun in May Only Banksula melones, which has relatively [315J 316 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Vol. 42, No. 11 BRIGGS AND UBICK: CAVE HARVESTMEN 317 well-developed eyes, has been collected near or nose tubercle on patella; retinae incom- at the cave twilight zone. Sita/cina sierra Briggs plete or absent; corneas present 6 and Hom is the only laniatorid harvestman 5a. Submarginal row of tubercles on eighth found in epigean habitats adjacent to cave lo­ tergite and last sternite ._ calities. ______________ .. B. rudo/phi new species METHODS AND DEPOSITION 5b. No submarginal rows of tubercles on ter- gites or sternites . o The structures measured and morphological _________._. B. martinorum new species terminology used in this paper are generally 6a. Eye tubercle a rounded cone; small spur those described by Briggs (1968) for laniatorid ectal to proximal ventral spine on palpal harvestmen, with one modification that appears femur; incomplete retinae usually pres- in this paper and in Briggs (1974): we substitute enL ... B. tuo/umne Briggs "second endites" for that portion of the second 6b. Eye tubercle obliquely truncate in lateral coxae previously referred to as the maxillary view; no spur ectal to proximal ventral processes. Another structure, the labial process, spine on palpal femur; retinae absent _ first described by Briggs (1971), is located be­ -------- . B. grubbsi new species tween the second endites. Unless otherwise noted, all specimens record­ 7a. First legs longer than 4 mm; retinal di­ ed in this paper were preserved in ethyl alcohol ameter greater than 0.03 mm; aedeagus • californica .. galilei and are deposited in the collection of the Cali­ and enclosing sheath fold anterior to re- • grahami fornia Academy of Sciences. curved prongs of dorsal plate . __ __________ . B. me/ones Briggs • melones • luolumne • Key to the Species of Banksu/a 7b. First legs shorter than 4 mm; retinal di­ o elliotli ameter less than 0.03 mm or missing; ae­ 6 grubbsi la. Operculum small, held almost entirely be­ o marlini • tween mesal margins of fourth coxae; deagus and enclosing sheath held within o rudolphi bifurcate dorsal plate 8 males with apex of aedeagus not enclosed t-1f~ I::;",,_~ Columbl8 in sheath, velum on dorsal plate smooth 8a. Eye tubercle and elevated area behind (ca/ifornica group) 2 .- without tubercles; retinae present _ lb. Operculum large, with posterior margin FIGURE I. Map showing counties in the central Sierra Nevada where Banksula have been collected. The inset shows the ____________ . B. grahami Briggs region along the Stanislaus River where environmental impact and mitigation work on Banksula has been concentrated. well behind mesal extreme of posterior 8b. Eye tubercle and elevated area behind tu- margin of fourth coxae; males with apex berculate; retinae reduced or missing _ of aedeagus enclosed in sheath, velum on __________ . B. el/iotti new species sternite with two rows of tubercles. Anal plate holotype. Proximal ventral spinose tubercle on dorsal plate in transverse folds (me/ones group) ._._______________ 7 with medial tubercles. Second endites with con­ palpal tibia present, equal in size to robust ven­ Banksula rudolpbi new species cave ectal margin. Labial processes rounded. tral spinose tubercle on palpal patella. Opercu­ 2a. Retinae entire; eye tubercle obliquely (Figure 2) Operculum with narrow, rounded anterior; pos­ lum with truncate apex (rounded in some indi­ truncate in lateral view B. ga/i/ei Briggs HOLOTYPE.-Male. Body length 1.67 mm; terior margin adjacent to mesal extreme of pos­ viduals); posterior margin behind mesal extreme 2b. Retinae absent or incomplete; if retinae scute length 1.40 mm; scute width 1.14 mm; eye terior margin of fourth coxae. of posterior margin of fourth coxae. present, eye tubercle a rounded cone ._ 3 tubercle length 0.23 mm; eye tubercle width 0.28 Palpal femur with six prominent proximal dor­ TVPE-SPECIMENS.-Holotype, allotype, 21 paratypes (9 O. mm; operculum length 0.18 mm; operculum sal spines (some individuals with only five 3a. Small spines or tubercles between prin­ 9 9,3 juv.): Chrome Cave, near Jackson, Amador County, width 0.21 mm. spines) and one small distal dorsal spine; no se­ cipal dorsal spines on palpal femur; cor- California, 5 ApT. 1979, D. C. Rudolph, S. Winterath, and B. Palp: trochanter 0.19 mm, femur 0.79 mm, tae or tubercles between dorsal spines; ectal Martin. Paratypes, 2 0, 2 9,3 juv.: same locality, 21 Sep. neas absent B. ca/ifornica (Banks) patella 0.44 mm, tibia 0.65 mm, tarsus 0.44 mm. spur at base of first ventral spine small and 1980, T. S. Briggs and D. Ubick. Paratype, I 0: same locality, 3b. No small spines or tubercles between Leg 11: trochanter 0.19 mm, femur 1.42 mm, rounded; venter with numerous small tubercles. 24 Jan. 1981, T. S. Briggs and D. Ubick. principal dorsal spines on palpal femur; corneas present or absent __ ._______________ 4 patella 0.44 mm, tibia 1.26 mm, metatarsus 1.02 Proximal ventral tubercle on palpal tibia re­ ETYMOLOGY.-This species is named for mm, tarsus 1.58 mm. duced, spine from tubercle absent. Ventral spine biospeleologist D. Craig Rudolph. 4a. Proximal ventral spinose tubercle on pal­ Scute with segmentation delineated by tuber­ on palpal patella arising from a reduced tubercle. ECOLOGICAL NOTEs.-Chrome Cave is a small pal tibia equal to ventral spinose tubercle cles, eye tubercle and area behind tuberculate. Tarsal formula 4-6-5-6. cave situated in about 0.02 km2 of limestone. on patella; retinae absent; corneas pres- Eye tubercle a rounded cone without retinae Body concolorous yellow-orange. The outcrop is surrounded by serpentine which ent or absent . .. 5 (some individuals also without corneas). Ter­ Penis typical of ca/ifornica group (see Briggs also forms much of the cave's walls. The hu­ 4b. Proximal ventral spinose tubercle on pal­ gites with row of tubercles at margin, eighth ter­ 1974: 11-12). midity is relatively high and a mean temperature pal tibia always smaller than ventral spi- gite also with medial row of tubercles. Posterior ALLOTYPE.-Female. Slightly smaller than of 18 C was recorded on 24 January 1981. Bank- 318 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Vo!. 42, No. II BRIGGS AND UBICK: CAVE HARVESTMEN 319 FIGURE 3. Banksu/a martinorum Briggs and Ubick, new species. Lateral view of body and left palpus of male holotype. Banksula grubbsi new species TVPE-SPECIMEN.-Holotype: Black Chasm Cave, near Vol­ (Figure 4) cano, Amador County, California, 19 Feb. 1978, A. G. Grubbs. HOLoTYPE.-Male. Body length 1.49 mm; scute length 1.26 mm; scute width 1.23 mm; eye FEMALE.-Unknown. tubercle length 0.25 mm; eye tubercle width 0.35 ETYMOLOGY.-This species is named for FIGURE 2. Banksu/a rudo/phi Briggs and Ubick, new species. a. Lateral view of body and left palpus of male holotype; b. mm; operculum length 0.18 mm; operculum biospeleologist Andrew G. Grubbs. Lateral view of left palpus of female allotype. width 0.21 mm. Palp: trochanter 0.19 mm, femur 0.70 mm, Banksula elliotti new species patella 0.39 mm, tibia 0.53 mm, tarsus 0.65 mm. sula rudolphi is found throughout the upper re­ retinae or corneas. Tergites with submarginal (Figure 5) gions of the cave, predominantly on the under­ row of tubercles. Second endites large, ectal Leg 11: trochanter 0.18 mm, femur 1.49 mm, sides of rocks.
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