Report on the Terrestrial Mollusks of the Sierra de la Madera (Oposura), Sonora, Mexico — The Caracoleros Author(s): Amy S. Van Devender, Robert W. Van Devender, Arzu Rivera-García, Rosa E. Jimenez- Maldonado and Martha N. Van Devender Source: American Malacological Bulletin, 30(2):315-322. 2012. Published By: American Malacological Society DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4003/006.030.0211 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.4003/006.030.0211 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. Amer. Malac. Bull. 30(2): 315–322 (2012) Report on the Terrestrial Mollusks of the Sierra de la Madera (Oposura), Sonora, Mexico – The Caracoleros Amy S. Van Devender¹, Robert W. Van Devender², Arzu Rivera-García³, Rosa E. Jimenez-Maldonado4, and Martha N. Van Devender5 1 797 Little Laurel Rd. Ext., Boone, North Carolina 28607 U.S.A. 2 Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina 28608 U.S.A. 3 Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F. 4 Reserva Forestal Nacional y Refugio de Fauna Silvestre Ajos-Bavispe-CONANP, Cananea, Sonora, México 5 3361 N. Gordon Place, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212 U.S.A. Correspondence, Amy S. Van Devender: [email protected] Abstract. The Madrean Archipelago Biological Assessment (MABA) “bioblitz” expedition to Sierra de la Madera (Oposura) near Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico from 29 July–7 August 2010 included a land snail inventory. Five people searched for both macro- and microsnails in fi ve sites in foothills thornscrub, oak woodland, and pine-oak forest (1225–2080 m elevation) and found 347 individuals of 18 species or forms. Macrosnails included a Sonorella Pilsbry, 1900 species (N = 5) found at four sites, a succineid species (N = 3) from two sites, and one philomycid slug. Micromollusks (< 6 mm) included representatives of seven families. The vertiginid genus Gastrocopta Wollaston, 1878 included eight species/forms. Vallonia perspectiva Sterki, 1892 was the most abundant species (N = 123). This collection adds four species to the 59 previously reported for the state. Seven forms from this southern “sky island”, including the Gastrocopta ashmuni group (=Immersidens ashmuni Pilsbry and Vanatta, 1900) and Sonorella, are characteristic of the Southwestern Mollusk Province (SWMP). Collecting land snails in Sonora has been sporadic because of the diffi cult terrain and remote locations. Additional efforts and locations should add many more species and clarify biogeographical affi nities of this rugged area. Resumen. El programa de la Evaluación de la Biodiversidad del Archipiélago Madrense organize una expedición a la Sierra de la Madera (Opusura) cerca de Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico, para realizar un muestreo biológico intensivo (bioblitz) del 29 julio hasta al 7 agosto 2010, el cual incluyó un inventario de caracoles terrestres. Cinco personas buscaron tanto macro como micromoluscos en cinco sitios en matorrales espinosos, bosques de encino y de pino-encino (1225–2080 m de elevación) y encontraron 347 individuos de 18 especies o formas. Los macromoluscos incluyen una especie de Sonorella Pilsbry, 1900 (N = 5) encontrada en cuatro sitios, una especie de Succinea Draparnaud, 1801 (N = 3) de dos sitios, y una babosa de la familia Philomycidae. Los micromoluscos (< 6 mm) incluyen representantes de siete familias. El genero Gastrocopta Wollaston,1878 de la familia Vertiginidae incluye ocho especies/formas. Vallonia perspectiva Sterki, 1892 fue la especie más abundante (N = 123). Esta colecta añade cuartro especies a las 59 previamente reportadas para el estado. Siete formas de estea “isla serrana” del sur entre ellos el grupo Gastrocopta ashmuni Sterki, 1896 y Sonorella Pilsbry,1900, son caracteristicas de la Provincia Malacológica del Suroeste. La recolección de caracoles terrestres en Sonora ha sido esporádica debido a las difi cultades del terreno y lugares remotos. El trabajo de campo en áreas nuevas añadirá muchas más especies y aclarará las afi nidades biogeográfi cas de esta zona escarpada. Key words: Mexican land snails, sky islands, MABA, biodiversity The third Madrean Archipelago Biological Assessment foothills thornscrub vegetation around its base as well as (MABA) expedition into northeastern Sonora in July and more mesic habitats grading into pine–oak forest above 1700 m. August 2010 was a “bioblitz” sponsored by the Sky Island Al- Some higher elevations of the Sierra de la Madera are part of liance as part of its mission to survey, protect and restore the Reserva Forestal Nacional y Refugio de Fauna Silvestre unique habitats of the mountain islands and desert seas of the Ajos-Bavispe in the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Protegidas United States/Mexico borderlands. Participants included (CONANP) system (T. R. Van Devender pers. comm. 2010). nearly 30 science professionals and students from both Mexico and the United States with a wide range of expertise. Five people, “los caracoleros”, worked on land snails. The target of MATERIALS AND METHODS the bioblitz was the Sierra de la Madera (Oposura), an iso- lated granitic-batholithic mountain range covering about Land snails were sampled at fi ve sites in the Sierra de la 800 km2 in the greater Río Yaqui drainage in northeastern Madera (within the municipios or “counties” of Cumpas Sonora near the town of Moctezuma. The mountain included and Moctezuma) in northwestern Sonora, Mexico (Figure 1). 315 316 AMERICAN MALACOLOGICAL BULLETIN 30 · 2 · 2012 de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City. Specimens were cleaned and imaged using cameras, microscopes, and scan- ning electron microscopes (SEM). Data recorded for most intact specimens were number of whorls (WH), diameter (D) and height (H) as measured to ± 0.01 mm from micrographs using analysis in Adobe Photoshop™. Width of umbilical opening (U) was measured for many specimens. Samples were compared using the conservative two- tailed T-tests with unequal variance (Steele and Torrie 1980) using Micro- soft Excel™. Specimens were identifi ed using fi gures, keys, and descriptions in Pilsbry (1940, 1946, 1948), Bequaert and Miller (1973), Naranjo-García and Fahy (2010), and Nekola and Coles (2010). Fred Thompson (University of Florida), Jeff Nekola (University of New Mexico), Barry Roth (San Francisco, California), and Harry G. Lee (Jacksonville, Flori- da) were consulted for opinions on problematic specimens. Taxonomy of Bouchet and Rocroi (2005) was used. Information on the biogeography, bot- any, and geology of the region was ob- tained from T. R. Van Devender. RESULTS Sites Three sites were on the north or northwest part of the mountain range Figure 1. Collection locations. A. Northern Mexico and southwestern United States with in Municipio de Cumpas, Sonora location of Sierra de la Madera. B. Location of sites visited (Google Earth projection July 2011). (Figure 1). Collection site 1 was a steep, north facing, mesic canyon at 1584 m Elevation, orientation and descriptions were recorded at each elevation above Rancho Cieneguitas, (29.9948°N, 109.5593°W). site. Likely microhabitats under rocks, downed wood, and Four people searched this site for approximately four hours leaf litter were searched visually. Samples of leaf litter, humus (16 person-hours). Most snails were in litter collected on the and soil were collected at four sites, sundried, sifted through steep slope above the canyon fl oor. Site 2 was in pine-oak sieves (0.855–3.35 mm mesh) and searched using hand lens- woodland near a microwave antenna at 2080 m elevation es. Live snails were drowned in tap water laced with menthol (30.0196°N, 109.5457°W). Snails were found under bark on crystals and preserved in 70% EtOH. Most specimens were logs, in talus slides, and in leaf litter during about two hours brought back to the U.S. under SEMARNAT permit #055 to of searching (8 person-hours). Site 3 was a steep north-facing Dr. Edna Naranjo-García, but one slug and two succineids road cut at 1832 m elevation (30.0029°N, 109.5538°W). Wa- were transported to Mexico City. Most specimens will be de- ter seeping from crevices and ferns among the rocks indicated a posited into the Colección Nacional de Moluscos in the Instituto particularly moist area. The site was searched for about 3 SONORAN TERRESTRIAL MOLLUSKS 317 person-hours. Remaining sites were on the southeastern tered. Snails were distributed heterogeneously among sites. fl ank of the range in Municipio de Moctezuma, Sonora (Fig. 1). Eleven species were found at only one site, and fi ve more Site 4 included roadside rocks, a small arroyo, and part of a species were found at only two sites. The remaining two wooded canyon at about 1225 m elevation on Rancho Mesa species were found at three or four sites. No species was Quemada (29.8952°N, 109.4573W). About 10 person-hours found at all sites. The only “invasive” species was Zonitoides were spent searching this site. Site 5 included edges of a large arboreus (Say, 1816), which was fairly rare at a disturbed meadow and a semi-permanent stream in a steep canyon at site. Snail diversity varied considerably among sites at Sierra Rancho San Fernando (29.8952°N, 109.4826°WW) near 1490 de la Madera; but only site one had sufficient numbers m elevation.