Bioacoustics of Ammopelmatus tarcanyon

Figs 1178–1187, Tables 1 , 12 , 13 , 38 Species #26, Weissman 2001b . Distribution. (Fig. 1178). Only known from the base of the Kreyenhagen Hills, along Big Tar Canyon Rd in the Diablo Coast Ranges southwest of Avenal, Kings Co., and from Zapato Chino Creek area, 15 km NW of Tar Canyon, Fresno Co. , also in the Diablo Range foothills on the western side of the San Joaquin Valley. Recognition characters. Member of Fast Drumming Group. Medium-large to very large, megacephalic JC with prominent black abdominal bands, 2n ♂ =23. Distinguished from morphologically similar, nearby Fast Drumming Group A. bakersfield ( 116 km southeast), A. chimineas ( 100 km south), and A. grapevine ( 160 km southeast) by habitat and isolation. Distinguished from nearest DNA relative, A. danieli , by DNA , a separation of ~ 100 km and on different sides of the Coastal Ranges, and the finding of a sex clarification drum in A. tarcanyon . Holotype . Male (in alcohol, Fig. 1179). California, Kings Co ., base of Kreyenhagen Hills 5.7 m SW Avenal on Big Tar Canyon Rd , 35.934142° -120.167356°, 412m , 18-xii-1987 (S87-121) DBW & BI Weissman. R 89-79. Molt to adult 17-viii-1989 . Deposited CAS , Entomology type #20136. Megacephalic. Measurements in mm: Body length 46.63, hind femur length 13.61, hind femur width 5.41. Fore leg tibia with 2 ventral spurs; middle leg tibia with 8 calcars, 2 ventral spurs; hind leg tibia (Fig. 1180) with 5 inner and 3 outer spines, 2 sets of 2 ventral spurs on left side. Allotype . Female (in alcohol, Fig. 1181). Same information as holotype except 17-x-1987 (S87-107). R89- 28 & 34. Molt to adult 29-vii-1989 . Deposited CAS , CASENT #9085132 . Megacephalic. Measurements in mm: Body length 54.35, hind femur length 14.16, hind femur width 5.91. Fore leg tibia with 2 ventral spurs; middle leg tibia with 8 calcars, 2 ventral spurs; hind leg tibia (Fig. 1182) with 5 or 6 inner and 3 outer spines, 2 ventral spurs. Ovipositor Fig. 1183. Paratypes . ♂ 5 ♀ 10. CALIFORNIA, Fresno Co ., Zapato Chino Creek , 36.015328° -120.296045°, 338m , 21- iii-2022 (S22-2) J. Rose & G. Napolitano ♀ 1. Zapato Chino Creek , 36.016174° -120.292601°, 332m , 4-iv-2022 (S22-5) G. Napolitano ♂ 1. Kings Co . , Type locality 17-x-1987 (S87-107) ♂ 3; 18-xii-1987 (S87-121) ♀ 1; 6-iii-1992 (S92-32) 1 male used unsuccessfully for testes; 18-xii-1994 (S94-118) ♂ 1 ♀ 4; 18-iv-2003 (S03-19) ♀ 4. Drum. Calling drum similar in both sexes except series longer in females and males with a sex clarification drum ( SCD ). Male : Holotype R89-79 (Fig. 1184) with 115 drums over 11.0s (10.5 drums/s) at 20°C. Paratopotype (S94-118) male R96-116 (Fig. 1185) with SCD of 3 drums over 0.22– 0.24s (12.5–13.6 drums/s) followed by 43 drums over 5.0s (8.6 drums/s) at 19.5° C. Female : Allotype R89-28 (Fig. 1186) with 246 drums over 34.5s (7.1 drums/s) at 20.5°C . Derivation of name. Named after the type locality. Habitat. Under rocks on a north facing, open, mostly grassy hillside, with oaks, adjacent to the uplifted Kreyenhagen Hills. Life cycle and seasonal occurrence. Probably typical 2-year life cycle. Variation. Of 15 individuals, all had 2 ventral fore leg tibial spurs; all had 8 middle leg tibial calcars, and 14 had 2 and 1 had 3 ventral spurs; 13 had 5 and 2 had 6 inner rear leg tibial spines, and 14 had 3 and 1 had 4 outer rear leg tibial spines, and all with 2 ventral spurs except the holotype who has 2 sets of 2. DNA . Fig. 1047, p. 579. F1354 & F1362 (both type locality, S03-19) recovered in a Group 20 Fast Drumming subclade, and nested within a larger clade with several other species of Fast Drumming Group JCs. Karyotype. 2n ♂ =23. T03-10 (Fig. 1187, type locality S03-19), comprised of 6 metacentric or submetacentric autosomal pairs; 5 acrocentric or telocentric autosomal pairs; and 1 metacentric X chromosome. Discussion. The largest specimen of any known Ammopelmatus species (See Fig. 3.2 in Weissman 2001a ) is probably this taxon. That poorly preserved, apparently teneral adult female was collected by Lloyd Bookout of the Kings Co. Department of Agriculture, with the following label data: California, Kings Co. (not Kern Co. as cited by Weissman 2001a ), Milhan [sic] Rd, 6 m S Avenal, date unknown but probably in 1980s (L. Bookout, pers. comm to DBW). This indicated area would be Milan Rd and probably near the Kettleman Hills sandy off-road areas visible from I-5. But on Google Earth, Milan Rd does not extend north near Avenal, being farther south closer to Buttonwillow. She measures, in mm, as follows: Body length 64.66, hind femur length 15.83, hind femur width 6.56, head height 20.21. Fore leg tibia with 2 ventral spurs; middle leg tibia with 8 calcars, 2 ventral spurs; hind leg tibia with 5 inner and 3 outer spines, 2 ventral spurs. Rear leg tibial calcars #3, 4, and 5 are distally expanded and spatulate. The nearest San Joaquin Valley population of another Fast Drumming Group taxon, is A. chimineas , located on the Chimineas Ranch, some 95 km due south of the Tar Canyon type locality. A. bakersfield type locality is some 100 km SE of Tar Canyon. At a grazed, rolling hill grassland site (S01-14, 35.951746° -120.165070°, 349m , 2.3 km NE of the type locality of A. tarcanyon ), on 26-ii-2001 , we collected 2 adult female A. nigrocapitatus while on that same day, we found no JCs at the type locality of A. tarcanyon . According to Wikipedia , The Kreyenhagen Hills are a range of foothills of the Diablo Range in western Fresno County and Kings County. The Kreyenhagen Hills form a long foothill belt in the soft formations between Reef Ridge and Kettleman Plain. They are divided into several groups, each a few miles wide, by streams crossing them at right angles. Kreyenhagen was the name of the family who originally owned the land in the area. According to ChatGPT, the name “Tar Canyon” likely derives from the presence of natural tar (or oil) seepage in the area, historically observed by Native Americans and early settlers.