Micropathus cavernicolus Richards, 1964

Micropathus cavernicolus Richards, 1964

Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , Table 1

Micropathus cavernicola Richards, 1964: 220–223 View in CoL , fig. 2.

Micropathus cavernicola View in CoL – Richards 1968: 171 (in key, additional records); 1971: 578–579 (in key, additional records); 1974: 252–253 (in key, additional records).

Diagnosis

The apices of the hind femora variably bear an apical spine on the retrolateral side. The ventral surfaces of the hind femora are unarmed prolaterally but variably bear linear spines on the retrolateral side. The male suranal plate is simple and rounded both proximally and distally ( Fig. 4b View Fig ). The female subgenital plate bears two long, broad lobes originating from its medial surface and extend past the distal margin of the plate. The lobes are separated by a furrow at the bases and further diverge distally ( Fig. 4b View Fig ).

Etymology

Not explained by Richards. The New Latin adjective ‘ cavernicolus ’ means ‘cave’ or ‘crevice-dwelling’ and ‘ cavernicola ’ is its feminine inflection. Per Article 34.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Latin adjectival species-group names are required to agree with the gender of the genus with which they are associated (ICZN 1999). As such, the gender ending of Micropathus cavernicola is invalid and the correct declension is Micropathus cavernicolus .

Type material

Holotype

AUSTRALIA – Tasmania • ♂; Mole Creek area , “ Maracoopa ” [Marakoopa] Cave ; 28 Jul. 1957; A. Goede leg.; ANIC 14-042009 About ANIC ; ANIC.

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA – Tasmania – Bubs Hill • 1 ♂; Quarry Cave ; 42.117° S, 145.75° E; 14 Apr. 2012; S.M. Eberhard leg.; GenBank: PV368128 ( COI); SARFMEE 12:0963a; SARFMEE GoogleMaps – Eldon Range • 3 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂; Carnivore Cave ; 41.983° S, 145.75° E; 950 m a.s.l.; 13 Apr. 2012; R. Eberhard leg.; GenBank: PV368126 ( COI); TMAG F073341 View Materials ; TMAG. GoogleMaps – Loongana • 1 ♂; River Leven environs ; 41.414° S, 145.97° E; 384 m a.s.l.; 13 Jan. 2023; R. Beaver leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 148317397. GoogleMaps – Mole Creek • 2 ♂♂; Westmorland Cave ( MC-X64 ); 41.614° S, 146.4° E; 13 Apr. 2012; R. Eberhard and S.M. Eberhard leg.; TMAG F073212 View Materials ; TMAG GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; Marakoopa Cave ; 41.578° S, 146.30° E; 477 m a.s.l.; 13 Dec. 2006; M. Morgan-Richards leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 169848453 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; near intersection of Sassafras and Platypus Creeks ; 41.578° S, 146.35° E; 5 Apr. 2024; J. Cordwell leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 206636454 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; unnamed cave ; 41.574° S, 146.29° E; 17 Feb. 2022; N. Anderson leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 107455864 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; King Solomons Cave ; 41.552° S, 146.25° E; 1 Mar. 2008; iNaturalist user jmanins leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 233667984. GoogleMaps – Mount Huxley • 1 ♀; mine adit 100 m SSE of Mt Huxley Lookout ; 42.163° S, 145.59° E; 619 m a.s.l.; 16 Apr. 2022; P. Crofts leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 112830411 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; photograph; iNaturalist 112830408 GoogleMaps • 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 1 spec.; same data as for preceding; K. Martin-Smith leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 112213642 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; among colony of hundreds; same data as for preceding; B. Bell leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 111915702. GoogleMaps – Mount Roland • 1 ♂; Minnow River environs ; 41.484° S, 146.30° E; 837 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2023; S. Ayre leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 174066162 GoogleMaps .

Redescription

As in Richards (1964), with exceptions as follows: ♀ subgenital plate with two lobes projecting from medial surface of plate, bases of lobes separated by a furrow, and with darkened apices in some individuals. Hind femur unarmed prolaterally, but an apical spine variably present retrolaterally and 0–4 retrolateral linear spines on ventral surface. Hind tibia with 31–45 prolateral and 28–40 retrolateral dorsal linear spines. First segment of hind tarsus with 1–3 prolateral and 1–2 retrolateral dorsal linear spines. Second tarsal segment with 1–2 dorsal linear spines prolaterally and retrolaterally.

Distribution

Northern-central Tasmania at altitudes 500– 950 m. Micropathus cavernicolus primarily occurs in limestone caves of the Mole Creek, Loongana, Bubs Hill, and Eldon Range karsts ( Fig. 1b View Fig ) but has also been found in rainforest surrounding caves, mine adits in non-karst terrain, and under stones ( Richards 1987).

Remarks

Richards described M. cavernicolus from material she later realised was distorted, making her initial description of the female subgenital plate inaccurate ( Richards 1968). The original description states the distal portion of the plate and its associated lobes are folded back dorsally, a distortion we have observed even in relatively fresh ethanol-preserved specimens. Richards did not provide a corrected illustration of this character, which we show in Fig. 4 View Fig . According to Richards, M. fuscus is sympatric with M. cavernicolus at Loongana ( Richards 1971b), but no material of the latter was available to us for examination from the area.