Scoterpes ventus Shear, 1971

Shear, William A., 2010, 2385, Zootaxa 2385, pp. 1-62 : 53-54

Scoterpes ventus Shear

Figs. 79, 80, Map 4

Scoterpes ventus Shear 1972, p. 279 , 280. Hoffman, 2000, p. 235.

Types: Male holotype and paratype from Blowing Cave, Sequatchie, Marion Co , Tennessee ( MCZ), examined in 1971 .

Etymology: The species name, a noun in apposition, is Latin for “wind” and refers to Blowing Cave, the type locality.

Diagnosis: Distinct from every other species of Scoterpes in the evident transformation of some of the lateral coxal setae of the gonopod into unsocketed crochets projecting from the distal coxal angles.

Description of male from Blowing Cave: Length, 10 mm, width 1.0 mm. Nonsexual characters as usual for genus. Legs 3–7 distinctly encrassate. Gonopods ( Figs. 79, 80) with coxae fused to sternum; mesal setal group linear, three setae; distal group with 3–8 socketed setae proximal, 5–7 distal setae fused to coxal, sockets lacking, curved, hooklike. Mesal angiocoxal branch broadly triangular; lateral branch with slight folding at blunt posterior tip, anterior branch absent. Colpocoxite of large to moderate size, fimbriate branch brushlike, finely subdivided. Ninth and tenth legs typical.

Female from Cumberland Caverns: Length, 10.2 mm, width 10. Mm. Nonsexual characters as in male.

Distribution: See Map 4 for selected records. All records supported by males, all specimens FSCA unless noted. TENNESSEE: Cannon Co. Henpeck Mill Cave, 1.7 mi NE of Woodbury, 8 August 1967, S. B. Peck. DeKalb Co. Cripp’s Mill Cave, 27 December 1956, T. C. Barr; Indian Grave Point Cave, 27 December 1956, T. C. Barr. Franklin Co. Caney Hollow Cave, 9 May 1959, T. C. Barr; Dry Cave, 10 January 1958, S. Lazell; 3 December1960, H. Steeves; Thumping Dick #1 Cave, Suwannee, 22 March 1958, S. Lazell; Wet Cave, 20 July 1958, T. C. Barr. Grundy Co. Boyd Hollow Cave, 8 June 1958, T. C. Barr; Crystal Cave, 13 October 1956, 18 May 1957, T. C. Barr; Tom Campbell Cave, 14 April, 1958, T. C. Barr; Trussell Cave, 18 April 1958, T. C. Barr; Wonder Cave, 1.5 mi SE of Mountain View, 30 June 1937, collector unknown (FMNH); 18 May 1957, 28 December 1965, T. C. Barr; 26 June 1957, L. Hubricht. Jackson Co. Carter Cave, 20 April 1957, T. C. Barr. Overton Co. Falling Springs Cave, 31 May 1958, T. C. Barr. Putnam Co. Allgood School Cave, 11 December 1960, T. C. Barr. Smith Co. John Fisher Cave, 18 July 1957, T. C. Barr; Piper Cave, 5 January 1957, T. C. Barr. Van Buren Co. McElroy Cave , 1.5 mi NE of Bone Cave Post Office, 23 June 1957, L. Hubricht (VMNH); Rice Cave, 18 March 1961, T. C. Barr. Warren Co. Cumberland Caverns, 13 March 1959, T. C. Barr; Higgenbotham Cave, 8 mi SE of McMinnville, 23 June 1957, L. Hubricht (VMNH); Hobbs Cave 8 June 1958, T. C. Barr; Hubbard Cave, 11 October 1956, T. C. Barr; John Green Cave, 31 May 1956, T. C. Barr; Turkeyscratch Cave, 5 September 1981, T. C. Barr (VMNH). White Co. Dairyhouse Cave, 15 October 1958, T. C. Barr; Lost Creek Cave, 30 August 1959, T. C. Barr; Moore Cave, 17 January, 20 June 1958, T. C. Barr; Sparkman Cave, 9 November 1958.

Notes: Causey labeled specimens of this species “barri barri” or “barri cautus” while one collection (Falling Springs Cave, Overton Co.) was labeled “similis.” Records for this species extend north to south virtually the entire width of Tennessee, and fall mostly in the Cumberland Plateau physiographic region, but the most westerly ones are in the Highland Rim region. The Sequatchie Valley bisects the southern part of the plateau; all records are west of the Sequatchie River, including the DeKalb County records, which are actually in the valley. With the exception of S. blountensis isolated far to the east, and a single, likely spurious, record of S. copei from Meigs Co., the distribution of Scoterpes as a genus in Tennessee stops at the Sequatchie River. Variation in the gonopods of S. ventus is seemingly chaotic; two extremes are shown. Given the broad occurrence of the species, it would not be a surprise to find that it actually consists of two or more cryptospecies.