Zygonopus whitei Ryder

Shear, William A., 2010, 2385, Zootaxa 2385, pp. 1-62 : 30-33

Zygonopus whitei Ryder

Figs. 34–41, Map 3

Zygonopus whitei Ryder 1881:527 , figs. 1–3. Cook & Collins, 1895:60, figs. 14–21. Causey, 1960:73, figs. 2, 3. Trichopetalum whitei, Shear, 1972:277 .

Types: The type locality is Luray Caverns, Page Co., Virginia. Since Ryder’s types were lost even at the time Cook & Collins (1895) did their revisionary work, I hereby designate a neotype male from a collection made at Luray Caverns, 22 August 1958, by T. Barr and D. Egbert (FSCA). Cook & Collins (1895) based their detailed redescription on a single male collected in Luray Caverns by L. M. Underwood in 1887, but this specimen was thoroughly dissected and the parts mounted on microscope slides, which have since been lost.

Diagnosis: Distinct from other Zygonopus species in the row of numerous, strong, curved setae on the ectal surface of the gonopod angiocoxite.

Etymology: Named by Ryder for C. A. White, a paleontologist, who obtained the original specimens from the owner of Luray Caverns, the actual collector ( Ryder 1881).

Male from Luray Caverns, Virginia: Length, 8.5 mm, width, 0.7 mm. Eyeless and without pigment. Legpairs 1 and 2 reduced in size, pairs 3–5 somewhat enlarged, with 5 the largest; distinct gap between pair 5 and 6 ( Fig. 34), legpair 6 ( Fig. 36) greatly enlarged, femora swollen, almost spherical; legpair 7 of normal size. Gonopods ( Figs. 37–39, 41) in anterior view with dense patches of acute trichomes scale-like near midline, longer laterally; angiocoxite divided, lateral branch 2–3 times as broad as mesal branch, lateral branch with single row of 7–9 stiff, curved setae. Colpocoxites subglobular, lightly sclerotized, fimbriate branches ( Fig. 39) small, somewhat concealed in posterior view. Ninth legpair typical. Tenth ( Fig. 40) and eleventh legpairs with coxal glands.

Female from Luray Caverns, Virginia: Length, 9.0 mm, width, 0.85 mm. Nonsexual characters as in male.

Distribution: See Map 3 for selected records. Each of the following records verified by the examination of at least one male. VIRGINIA: Page Co.: Luray Caverns, 14 August 1939, L. Hubricht (FSCA), 22 August 1958, T. Barr, D. Egbert (FSCA). Rockingham Co.: 3-D Maze Cave, 3 mi SW Broadway, 27 June 1974, J. Holsinger (VMNH); Cedar Hill Cave, 3 April 1999, D. Hubbard (VMNH); Melrose Cave, 22 May 2000, D. Hubbard (VMNH); Ponderosa Fissure Cave, 20 February 2000, D. Hubbard (VMNH); Stephen’s Cave, 23 September 1961, J. Holsinger (FSCA). Shenandoah Co.: Endless Caverns, New Market, 31 August 1937, K. Dearolf (FMNH), 7 May 1961, J. Holsinger (VMNH, FSCA); New Market Cave, 30 August 1937, K. Dearolf (FMNH), date and collector unknown (USNM); Madden’s Cave, date and collector unknown (FSCA). WEST VIRGINIA: Grant Co. : Elkhorn Mountain Cave, 14 July 1962, J. Holsinger (VMNH). Pendleton Co.: Hell Hole Cave, 25 March 1961, collector unknown (FSCA); Kenny Simmons Cave, 8 April 1962, J. Holsinger (FSCA); Stratosphere Balloon Cave, 7 August 1962, J. Holsinger (FSCA), 31 August 1958, T. Barr (AMNH); Trout Rock Cave, 1 June 1935, K. Dearolf (FMNH).

Notes: The Grant Co. , West Virginia, record is a new county record but close to the well-established localities in Pendeleton Co. Grant Co. caves have not been well-explored and I would expect many of them to harbor Z. whitei . The distribution of Z. whitei seems divided into two discrete areas: the Shenandoah Valley from just north of Harrisonburg, Virginia, northwestward to Luray, Virginia, and the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac River from just south of Franklin, West Virginia, to Moorefield, West Virginia, where the North and South Forks of the South Branch unite. The two regions are on either side of Shenandoah Mountain, which is capped by erosion-resistant sandstones and shales. Specimens from these two regions show no distinctions in the gonopods. There is a gap between the southernmost records of whitei in Rockingham County and the northeastmost record of Z. weyeriensis along the Rockingham-Augusta Co. boundary. It is likely that weyeriensis is to be found in the extreme southeast corner of Rockingham Co., in caves near Grottoes, Virginia. There are many caves in southern Rockingham and northern Augusta Counties , and these should be explored to determine the distributional limits of the two species; Augusta Co. , in particular, has not been well collected for Zygonopus . The distribution of of the western populations of whitei in West Virginia is divided from the distribution of Z. krekeleri by the high sandstone-capped ridge of Allegheny Mountain, which includes Spruce Knob, the state’s highest peak. As with Shenandoah Mountain, the rocks of this mountain are noncavernous sandstones and shales, and Allegheny Mountain marks the transition from the muchfolded strata of the Ridge and Valley Province to the east and the tilted to nearly horizontal rocks of the Allegheny Plateau to the west.