Scoterpes austrinus Loomis

Shear, William A., 2010, 2385, Zootaxa 2385, pp. 1-62 : 54-55

Scoterpes austrinus Loomis

Fig. 81, Map 6

Scoterpes austrinus Loomis 1943, p. 386 . Shear, 1972, p. 279. Hoffman, 2000, p. 235.

Type: Male holotype from Manitou Cave , 1 mi. S of Ft. Payne, DeKalb Co., Alabama ( MCZ), examined in 1971 .

Diagnosis: The unfolded, winglike lateral angiocoxites are similar only to those of S. nudus , which differs in having a shorter, thinner mesal coxite and microteeth on the lateral angiocoxite.

Etymology: The species name refers to the southerly occurence of this species compared originally to that of S. copei . And indeed, only S. nudus and S. syntheticus have been discovered further south.

Description of male from Manitou Cave, Alabama: Length, 9.5 mm, width 0.90 mm. Nonsexual characters as described for genus. Gonopods ( Fig. 81) with completely fused coxosternum; angiocoxal setal groups well-separated, distal group of 4–5 setae. Mesal angiocoxal branch nearly as long as lateral, smoothly acuminate. Lateral branch lamellate, T-shaped, lacking microteeth. Fimbriate branch moderately prominent. Ninth legs typical of genus.

Female from Manitou Cave, Alabama: Length, 9.8 mm, width 0.92 mm. Nonsexual characters as in male.

Distribution: See Map 6 for selected records. All specimens FSCA. The following records are supported by at least one male specimen. ALABAMA: DeKalb Co. Bartlett Cave, 1 mi SE Collinsville, 12 August 1958, J. Danielson, same locality, 27 August 1965, S. & J. Peck; Cherokee Cave, 4.5 mi NE Ft. Payne, 20 July 1965, S. Peck; Fort Payne Cave, 10 June 1967, “Jones & Daniel;” Kelly Girls Cave, 1 mi SE Colliersville, 25 August 1965, S. & J. Peck; Killian Cave, sec. 16, T8S, R8E, 6 December 1958, B. Killian et al.; Manitou Cave, Ft. Payne, 28 August 1965, S. Peck; Stankey Cave, 8 mi NE Ft. Payne, 16 July 1967, S. Peck, A. Fiske; Stanley-Carden Cave, Ft. Payne, 3 September 1967, J. & M. Cooper; Talley Cave, 30 July 1965, S. & J. Peck. GEORGIA: Chatooga Co. Blowing Spring Cave , 2.5 mi E Cloudland, 11 June 1967, J. Holsinger. Dade Co. Johnson Creek Cave, 4.5 mi NE Rising Fawn, 19 June 1967, J. Holsinger; Morrison Cave, 2 mi E Trenton, 13 July 1967, S. Peck; Sittons Cave, 20 March 1959, T. Barr, 30 July 1967, S. Peck. Walker Co.: Bible Spring Cave, 2 mi NE Lookout, 11 June 1967, J. Holsinger, 12 July 1967, S. Peck; Harrisburg Cave, 4 mi W Centerpost, 12 August 1967, S. Peck; Horseshoe Cave, 4 mi SW Chickamauga, 10 June 1967, J. Holsinger et al.; Mountain Cove Cave, 1.5 mi E Lookout, 11 June 1967, J. Holsinger et al.; Pettijohn Cave, 5 mi SW Lafayette, 10 June 1967, J. Holsinger, 21 June 1967, S. Peck.

Notes: One of the specimens from Manitou Cave had an anomalously unreduced ninth legpair. Scoterpes austrinus occurs in the Lookout Mountain and Pigeon Mountain karst areas. The Dade County localities are very narrowly separated from those for S. willreevesi , which is found in the Fox Mountain karst. More exploration of caves in Sand Mountain is needed to clarify which species of Scoterpes , if any, occurs there. Scoterpes austrinus is not related to S. willreevesi , but closely related to S. nudus (see immediately below) and the two have very similar, but distinct, gonopods. The Oostanaula and Etoway Rivers, branches of the Coosa River, separate the ranges of the two species; austrinus is not found south of the Coosa in Alabama, or of the Chatooga River, another Coosa tributary, in Georgia. Karst occurs in the intervening region, but there are no Scoterpes records available.