8 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 8)."The troglobitic thysanuran described from Ezell's cave in Texas as Nicoletia texensis by Ulrich in 1902 is redescribed in detail and a new genus, Texoreddellia, is erected for it. This thysanuran is now known to occur in a large number of caves in central Texas and the adjacent Edwards Plateau. Populations from different caves vary in some cases in quantitative characters, mainly the degree of elongation of the body and appendages"--P. [1]

Reddell, James R.

Wygodzinsky, Pedro W.

American Museum of Natural History Scientific Publications

AAmtJkscan%MlsdumPUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORYCENTRAL PARK WEST AT 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. I0024NUMBER 25I8 APRIL I I, 1973Description of a New Genus ofCave Thysanuran From Texas(Nicoletiidae, Thysanura, Insecta)BY PEDRO WYGODZINSKY1ABSTRACTThe troglobitic thysanuran described from Ezell's cave in Texas as Nicoletiatexensis by Ulrich in 1902 is redescribed in detail and a new genus, Texoreddellia,is erected for it. This thysanuran is now known to occur in a large number of cavesin central Texas and the adjacent Edwards Plateau. Populations from differentcaves vary in some cases in quantitative characters, mainly the degree of elon-gation of the body and appendages.In the first years of this century a troglobitic thysanuran was found inEzell's cave in Texas and described as Nicoletia texensis by Ulrich (1902).No additional specimens became available until James Reddell and hisassociates began their detailed survey of the Texas caves. Nicoletia texensiswas not only collected again in its original location but also in a greatnumber of other caves throughout central Texas and the Edwards Plateau;many of these new locality records were published by Reddell (1966).A careful examination of this species showed that it does not belong toNicoletia Gervais (type species: Nicoletia phytophila Gervais), nor does it fitany other known genus; a new genus is therefore erected for it in thepresent paper.I am very grateful to Mr. James R. Reddell for making this material'Curator, Department of Entomology, the American Museum of Natural History.AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATESavailable and for donating it to the American Museum of Natural History.All drawings were made by the author.TEXOREDDELLIA, NEW GENUSDIAGNOSIS: A nicoletiid with scales, subdivided abdominal sterna II-VII, and fused coxites of the ninth abdominal segment of the male.DESCRIPTION: Body slender, elongate, approximately parallel-sided,thorax slightly but distinctly wider than abdomen. Scales present, numer-ous, multiradiate. Head only with setae; thoracic terga and abdomendorsally and ventrally with setae and scales; legs with scales on proximalsegments; mouthparts and abdominal stylets only with setae.Pedicellus of male with unicellular glands and small sclerotized hook-shaped process. Mouthparts not specialized. Mandibles strongly sclero-tized apically and with the usual teeth. Galea apically with severalelongate sensory pegs. Lacinia heavily sclerotized distally; first process oflacinia pectinate. Labium without prominent lateral lobes.Praetarsi with three simple claws, median claw glabrous, slender, almostas large as lateral claws.Abdominal sterna II-VII subdivided into coxites and sternite. SternaVIII and IX of male entire. Coxites on segments II-IX with stylets.Exsertile vesicles on segments II-VI, pseudovesicles on VII. Tenth tergumand caudal appendages of male without secondary sexual characters.Parameres large, subcylindrical, somewhat constricted subapically;distal portion with specialized setae. Opening of penis longitudinal. Sub-genital plate of female well developed.Spermatolophids with sperm heads longer than wide, arranged incalyx-like bundles; one bundle per spermatolophid.TYPE SPECIES: Nicoletia texensis Ulrich, 1902.ETYMOLOGY: Texas, the state where these insects occur, and Reddell,the name of the collector of many of the specimens examined. Genderfeminine.DISCUSSION: Texoreddellia belongs to a group of nicoletiid genera, charac-terized by subdivided abdominal sterna II-VII and fused coxites of theninth abdominal segment of the male; all these genera are restricted tothe Western Hemisphere. Texoreddellia is distinguished from these genera,among other characters, in having scales and in the peculiarities of thespermatolophids.DISTRIBUTION: Texoreddellia is probably restricted to central Texas andthe adjacent Edwards Plateau. I have examined abundant material ofcave and free-living nicoletiids from other parts of the United States andfrom Mexico, but have not seen any Texoreddellia. Paclt's (1971) report ofNicoletia texensis from a cave in Tamaulipas, Mexico, is probably incorrect.NO. 25 18WYGODZINSKY: THYSANURANAFIG. 1. Texoreddellia texensis. A, B. Apex of mandible. C. Denticles of molar areaof mandible, high magnification. D. Female, dorsal view. E-G. Maxillary palp,different specimens. H. Scale. I. Head, dorsal view, with some of the hairs andmacrochaetae. J. Detail of apical segment of maxillary palp, with sensory pegs andinternal sensory organ. K. Female, side view. L. Apex of mandible. M, N. Apex ofdistal segment of maxillary palp. A-C, H-J, L, N, from Inner Space Cavern,Williamson Co.; D, Boehm's Cave, Medina Co.; E, K, Ezell's Cave, Hays Co.;G, M, Boyett's Cave, Hays Co.31973AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATESTexoreddellia texensis (Ulrich), new combinationFigures 1-4Nicoletia texensis ULRICH, 1902, p. 96; REDDELL, 1966, p. 28.Nicoletia (Anelpistina) texensis: PACLT, 1963, p. 48.DESCRIPTION: Maximum body length 17 mm. Antennae up to twice aslong as body; caudal appendages up to one and one-half times as long asbody. General color whitish. Ratio of lengths ofhead, thorax, and abdomenas shown in figure 1D, K. Macrochaetae simple or bifid apically. Scaleselongate, multiradiate, apically with one long median and two shorterlateral projections (fig. 1H).Head as shown in figure 1D, I, with numerous hairs and macrochaetae.Scales absent. Antennae as in generic description and as illustrated infigure 1D. Unicellular glands of pedicellus of male (fig. 2A, B, D) arrangedin several groups; projection of pedicellus hook-shaped, heavily sclero-tized, but not pigmented, consequently not very conspicuous. Articles ofdistal portion of flagellum much longer than wide (fig. 2C). Mouthpartsas in generic description and figures lA-C, E-G, J, L-N. Ratios of lengthof segments of maxillary palps as shown in figure 1 E-G. Apical segment oflabial palp very slightly longer than wide (fig. 2E, F), its underside withsix sensory papillae.Thorax as shown in figure 2G; disc of nota with scattered setae andnumerous scales (fig. 3A); lateral margins of nota with longer setae andmacrochaetae; 1+1 sublateral macrochaetae on hind margin of nota.Legs as in figures 2H-J; coxae and tibiae with scales in addition tosetae. Praetarsus as in generic description and as shown in figure 2K.Length/width ratio of hind tibiae from 3.8 to 8.8.Abdominal terga with scales arranged in transversal rows (fig. 3F);terga anteriorly with scales substituted by spinelike setae equally arrangedin transversal rows (fig. 3B), with only one row on anterior two or threeterga, becoming more numerous and occupying up to one-half the lengthof tergum on segments IV-VII, few in number on segment VIII, andabsent on IX and X. Terga with short setae along posterior margin;posterolateral angles with a few macrochaetae (fig. 3H). Tergum X (fig.3G, J, L) in both sexes shallowly emarginate apically. Setae inserted alonglateral margins; posterior angles with 2+2 larger setae, a few hairs alsoon emargination.Abdominal sterna and stylets as in generic description and figure 3E,I, K, N. Disc of sterna covered with scales arranged in transversal rowsand with a few scattered setae; setae also along hind margin. Sterniteswith 2+2 macrochaetae as shown in figure 3E. Sterna VIII and IX ofmale as shown in figure 3K, N. Penis and parameres as in generic descrip-4 NO. 2518WYGODZINSKY: THYSANURANFIG. 2. Texoreddellia texensis. A. Male, basal portion of antenna. B. Pedicellusof male, higher magnification. C. Article of apical portion of antenna. D. Hook-shaped appendage of pedicellus, male, with surrounding area, high magnification.E. Portion of labium with palp, ventral. F. Labial palp, dorsal. G. Thoracic nota,dorsal, with macrochaetae. H. Hind leg, male. I. Portion of second pair of legs,male. J. Hind leg of different male. K. Praetarsus with claws. A-I, K, male fromInner Space Cavern, Williamson Co.;J, Ezell's Cave, Hays Co.; G, Boehm's Cave,Medina Co.1973 5AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATEStion and figure 3M-O. Median sternal plate of eighth segment of femaleand coxites VIII and IX as shown in figure 4A-C. Ovipositor stout (fig.4A), of variable length, from falling slightly short of apex of stylets IX tosurpassing stylets by a distance equal to their length. Gonapophyses sub-divided into 12-15 articles; their chaetotaxy as shown in figure 4E-G.Basal articles of anterior gonapophyses with a few scattered setae.Diameter of spermatolophids approximately 40 IA. Spermatozoa ar-ranged in bundles averaging 16 (fig. 3C, D); length of heads of sperma-tozoa about 25 ,.MATERIAL EXAMINED: In addition to the caves enumerated by Reddell(1966) the species was also found in the following caves: Bandera County:Fog Fissure, Fossil Cave; Bexar County: Headquarters Cave; ComalCounty: Bad Weather Pit, Grosser's Sink, Fischer Cave, Voges Cave;Edwards County: Big Mutha Cave, Deep Cave; Kerr County: SevenRoom Cave, Stowers Cave, Smith Cave; Medina County: Lutz Cave;Travis County: Tooth Cave; Uvalde County: Davy Crockett Cave;Williamson County: Inner Space Caverns.Texoreddellia texensis is thus known from the following counties of Texas:Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Edwards, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, Mason,Medina, Menard, Pecos, Real, San Saba, Terrell, Travis, Uvalde, ValVerde, and Williams.DISCUSSION: The specific identity of our material with Nicoletia texensisUlrich is beyond doubt, because recently collected topotypic specimensfully agree with the original description and no other nicoletiine specieswas found in this or any other cave in Texas.Paclt (1963) synonymized NAicoletia (Anelpistina) wheeleri Silvestri withNicoletia texensis. Wygodzinsky (1963) showed this synonymy to be incor-rect, which was admitted later by Paclt (1971). Paclt (op. cit.) reported thespecies from the Quintero caves in Tamaulipas, Mexico; I have seennumerous nicoletiine specimens from these caves, all belonging to onespecies, which is not a Texoreddellia.Texoreddellia texensis has been found in many caves in Texas as mentionedunder Distribution. Although all specimens agree in their qualitativecharacters, there is considerable variation in the degree of elongation ofthe body, antennae, maxillary palps (fig. 1E-G), legs (fig. 2H, J), ovi-positor, and caudal appendages. I have used the ratio length/width ofthe hind tibiae as an indicator of elongation; the higher the ratio, themore slender and elongate the legs. Plotting the ratios obtained fromnumerous measurements, I found that specimens showed little variationwithin each cave population, but significant variation between popu-lations. No geographic correlation of these ratios was found; it is probablethat the degree of elongation is the expression not of geographical but ofNO. 25186WYGODZINSKY: THYSANURANF ~~~B CApP~~~~~~~~~I \\FIG. 3. Texoreddellia texensis. A. Setae and scales of posterolateral area ofmesonotum. B. Spinelike setae and scales of portion of abdominal tergum V.C. Bundle of sperm heads inside spermatolophid. D. Spermatolophid. E. Abdomi-nal sternum III. F. Scales of abdominal sternum. G. Apex of abdomen, female,dorsal view. H. Abdominal tergum V, with macrochaetae of posterolateral areas.I. Stylet of abdominal segment III, and apical spine, magnified. J. Portion ofabdominal tergum X, male. K. Abdominal sternum VIII, male. L. Portion ofabdominal tergum X, female. M. Penis, schematic. N. Abdominal sternum IX,male, with penis, parameres, and stylets. 0. Apical portion of paramere. A-F, I-0,Inner Space Cavern, Williamson Co.; G, H, Boehm's Cave, Medina Co.71973AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATESFIG. 4. Texoreddellia texensis, female. A. Genital region, seen from below. B.Coxite and stylet of abdominal segment VIII, with base of anterior gonapophyses.C. Coxite and stylet ofabdominal segment IX, with base of posterior gonapophysis.D. Apical portion of posterior gonapophysis. E. Basal segments of anterior gona-pophysis. F. Apical segments of anterior gonapophysis. G. Basal segments of pos-terior gonapophysis. A-G, Inner Space Caverns.ecological factors of the cave or the precise site in the cave where therespective population occurs.LITERATURE CITEDPACLT, J.1963. Thysanura. Fam. Nicoletiidae. Genera Insectorum, vol. 216e, pp. 1-58.1971. Occurrence of a new genus of troglobitic Nicoletiidae (Ins., Thysanura)in Mexico. Int. Jour. Speleology, vol. 3, pp. 423-424.REDDELL, J. R.1966. A checklist of the cave fauna of Texas. II. Insecta. Texas Jour. Sci.,vol. 18, pp. 25-56.ULRICH, C. J.1902. A contribution to the subterranean fauna of Texas. Trans. Amer.Micros. Soc., vol. 23, pp. 83-101.WYGODZINSKY, P.1963. On J. Paclt's Nicoletiidae (Thysanura) in the "Genera Insectorum."Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 13, vol. 6, pp. 265-269.NO. 25188

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