Scoterpes hesperus, Shear, 2010

Shear, William A., 2010, 2385, Zootaxa 2385, pp. 1-62 : 49

Scoterpes hesperus n. sp.

Fig. 74, Map 8

Types: Male holotype and female paratype ( NCSM) from Jaybird Hollow Cave , Perry Co., Tennessee, collected 18 August 1971, by W. Henne .

Diagnosis: Most similar to S. musicarustica , n. sp., but distinct in the much narrower lateral angiocoxites and the triangular median angiocoxites.

Etymology: The species epithet is a noun in apposition, the Latin name of the evening star, but often used to refer to the west in general; this species is the most westerly occurring of all Scoterpes .

Description of male from Jaybird Hollow Cave: Length, 11.2 mm, width, 0.9 mm. Nonsexual characters typical of genus. Gonopods ( Fig. 74) with coxae loosely fused to sternum; distal setal group clumped, lateral, about 8 setae, proximal group mesal, 3 setae. Medial angiocoxite broad basally, subtriangular, bluntly pointed; lateral angiocoxite not folded apically, with anteriorly projecting branch tipped with small nodules, seen in anterior view longer, thinner than in S. musicarustica . Colpocoxite fimbriate branches semilamillate, strongly fringed apically. Ninth legs as usual for genus.

Female from Jaybird Hollow Cave: Length, 12.0 mm, width 1.6 mm. Nonsexual characters as in male.

Distribution (Map 8): All localities with at least one male; all specimens NCSM. TENNESSEE: Decatur Co. Baugus Cave, 7 December 1971, W. Henne. Perry Co. No further locality, 11 August 1971, W. Henne.

Notes: This species links the closely related species S. tricorner and S. musicarustica ; the three species form a fairly compact “Southern Copei Group,” the name coming from their obvious closeness to S. copei of Kentucky and northern middle Tennesee. It is notable that the Baugus Cave record of this species is the only record of Scoterpes west of the Tennessee River; the river does not mark the exact westernmost extension of the karst of the Western Highland Rim, but cuts its valley just within the Rim province. Baugus Cave is in a small tributary valley of the Tennessee River. Scoterpes hesperus is also found in Perry Co., east of the river, suggesting either that the river is no barrier to these species, or that the western bank record may be due to a change in the river’s course after the species’ dispersal.