Bioacoustics of Ammopelmatus kennedymeadows

Figs 462–473 , Tables 9 , 15 Distribution. ( Fig. 462 ). Known from an 85 km long, mid elevation stretch along the eastern side of the Sierras between Kennedy Meadows, Tulare Co. , and west of Independence, Inyo Co. As we discuss below under “Possible Placement”, this taxon could extend south to Walker Pass and Red Rock Canyon. If that range extension is correct, then A. kennedymeadows would be known along a 150 km line on the eastern side of the Sierras. Recognition characters. A small, light colored, moderately fast drumming (4.2–7.7 drums/s) JC from the eastern side of the southern Sierra Nevada . Individuals typically have 2 front leg tibial spurs, 7 middle leg calcars, and 3 rear leg inner tibial spines. Male calling drum longer than females. We collected 1 adult female of A. kennedymeadowsdos at the type locality (S95-105) of A. kennedymeadows , whose DNA (F0181) matches that of an adult female (F0484) collected ~ 13 m SE of Kennedy Meadows (S97-28), at 1524m , in similar habitat. Both females of A. kennedymeadowsdos are larger than any A. kennedymeadows adult females with broader, darker black bands, and both have 3 fore tibial leg spurs, 8 mid leg tibial calcars, and 5 rear leg inner tibial spines. The female of A. kennedymeadowsdos from S97-28 drummed (R97-46, Fig. 381 ) at 5.0 drums/s at 21°C, and is further discussed on p. 245. Holotype . Male (in alcohol, Fig. 463 ) California, Tulare Co ., Kennedy Meadows Rd , area around Kennedy Meadows , 35.982419° -118.096486°, 1957m , 13-iii-1996 (S96-8) DBW & VF Lee. R 96-15, F0245. Molt to adult 9-vii-1996 . Deposited CAS , Entomology type #20125. Measurements in mm: Body length 21.92, hind femur length 6.56, hind femur width 2.65. Fore leg tibia with 1 or 2 ventral spurs; middle leg tibia with 7 calcars, 1 ventral spur; hind leg tibia ( Fig. 464 ) with 3 inner and 2 or 3 outer spines, 2 ventral spurs. Allotype . Female (in alcohol, Fig. 465 ). CALIFORNIA, Tulare Co ., Kennedy Meadows General Store, 36.018930° -118.123369°, 1876m , 7-x-1995 (S95-106) DBW & VF Lee. R 96-45, F0263. Molt to adult 3-viii-1996 . Deposited CAS , CASENT #9084031 . Measurements in mm: Body length 28.1, hind femur length 7.88, hind femur width 2.96. Fore leg tibia with 2 ventral spurs; middle leg tibia with 7 calcars, 2 ventral spurs; hind leg tibia ( Fig. 466 ) with 1 or 2 inner and 2 outer spines, 2 ventral spurs. Ovipositor Fig. 467 . Paratypes . ♂ 10 ♀ 43. CALIFORNIA, Inyo Co ., Whitney Portal Road 8 m W Lone Pine , 36.597235° - 118.203183°, 1976m , 29-viii-2005 (S05-104) ♀ 1. Onion Valley Rd 4.3 m W Independence , then 3.6 m S on Foothill Rd , 36.727642° -118.263703°, 1788m , 23-iii-1993 (S93-13) ♂ 2 ♀ 2; 17-iii-1996 (S96-15) ♂ 2 ♀ 15. Tulare Co ., Type locality, 7-x-1995 (S95-105) ♂ 1 ♀ 3; 13-iii-1996 (S96-8) ♂ 5 ♀ 21. Allotype locality, 7-x-1995 (S95-106) ♀ 1. Possible placement. Kern Co ., Dove Springs , drainage area just W Red Rock Canyon State Park , 35.412668° -117.984044°, 944m , 20-vi-2003 (S03-78) D. Clark ♀ 2. Red Rock Canyon State Park , north boundary, 35.380102° -117.960689°, 800m , 3-iii-1992 (S92-25) ♀ 1, under Atriplex . Walker Pass , 35.67759° -118.04449°, 1442m , early March , 2014 (S14-12) T. Papenfuss , J. Parham , ♀ 1, under legless lizard cardboard. Unfortunately , as expected, since they were collected as adults, none of these 4 females drummed. That void, coupled with the absence of adult males, leaves us unable to make a definitive identification. On the other hand, legs from both Red Rock Canyon (F1349) and Walker Pass (F2387) were recovered in a clade with A. kennedymeadows , which they could be given their small size, similar habitats and elevation, coupled with their similar spine and calcar patterns (see Table 15 ). Walker Pass is 35 air km directly south of the type locality of A. kennedymeadows . Drum. Calling drums similar in both sexes except, notably, usually longer in males. Male: Holotype (R96-15) had ( Fig. 468 ) 84 drums in 12.6s (6.7 drums/s) at 19° C. Female : Allotype (R96-45) had ( Fig. 469 ) 23 drums in 3.4s (6.8 drums/s) at 20.5° C. There may be a north-south cline in drumming rate: 4 males from the most northern area, west of Independence (S93-13 and S96-15), drummed between 4.3 and 5.1 drums/s at 20°C; while 5 females from there drummed between 4 and 5 drums/s at 20° C. The lone adult female from intermediate locality Whitney Portal (S05-104) drummed (R05-46) 29 times in 6.1s (4.8 drums/s) at 20°C. Seven males from the southernmost, type locality (S95-106 and S96-8) drummed 5.7 to 7.0 drums/s at 20°C; while 15 females from there drummed 5.5 to 7.7 drums/s at 20° C. We wonder if this could be a situation of character displacement related to the sympatric occurrence of A. kennedymeadowsdos (see p. 244), at the type locality, where the latter drums around 5 drums/s at 20°C ? Derivation of name. Named for the general area where the type series was collected. Habitat. Type locality is open pinyon pine with rabbitbrush and sagebrush; at Independence site, JCs under rocks on open slopes with bitterbrush and sagebrush. Life cycle and seasonal occurrence. Probably 2-year life cycle but 1 small female nymph collected on 7-x-1995 (S95-106) molted to adult 22-vii-1998 . Variation. Of 54 individuals, 2 had 1 and 52 had 2 ventral fore leg tibial spurs; 1 had 6, 52 had 7 and 1 had 8 middle leg tibial calcars, all with 2 ventral spurs; 1 had 1, 13 had 2, and 40 had 3 inner rear leg tibial spines, while 42 had 2, 10 had 3, and 2 had 4 outer rear leg tibial spines, all with 2 ventral spurs. DNA . Fig. 404 , p. 257. F 0218 ( type locality S96-08); F0313 (S96-15, Independence); F1349 (S03-78, Red Rock Canyon); and F2387 (S14-12, Walker Pass) recovered in same clade as A. brockovichi and A. kelsoensis . Karyotype. 2n ♂ =25. Two type locality (S96-8) males (T96-12, Fig. 470 , and T96-13 ( Fig. 471 ); and 2 Independence males (T93-22, S93-13, Fig. 472 , and T96-3, S96-15, Fig. 473 ) determined, and all identical: 6 metacentric or submetacentric autosomal pairs; 6 acrocentric or telocentric autosomal pairs; and 1 metacentric X chromosome. Discussion. When we collected the type locality on 13-iii-1996 , it was actively snowing with 1–2 cm of snow on the ground. That day we collected 6 adult females, 3 late instars, 4 mid instars, and 1 small nymph under small rocks in an area we had collected the previous year (S95-105). We returned to this site 4 days later, on 17-iii-1996 , after 2 or 3 warm days, and in the same area, in the absence of snow, collected another 4 adult females, 6 late instars, and 5 mid instars. This is one of few species where the male’s calling drum is longer than the females, and may indicate that females do the searching instead of the more typically postulated males ( Weissman 2001b ).