Steven Taylor - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Steven Taylor

This report is built upon the contributions of many people for whom we are eternally grateful. Mo... more This report is built upon the contributions of many people for whom we are eternally grateful. Most important among these are landowners (too numerous to mention) who allowed us access to their caves or permission to cross their land. Cavers who have helped us with field work at various times include

We conducted a baseline inventory of terrestrial Heteroptera (true bugs) and Orthoptera (grasshop... more We conducted a baseline inventory of terrestrial Heteroptera (true bugs) and Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets and katydids) at four sites in Monroe and Randolph counties, Illinois in 2014, namely: Mill Creek Natural Area (MCNA); White Rock Nature Preserve (WRNP); Fogelpole Cave Nature Preserve (FCNP); and Kidd Lake State Natural Area (KLSNA). A total of 95 species in the focal taxa were recorded (67 Heteroptera and 28 Orthoptera). In addition, a further 96 species of arthropods in groups other than Heteroptera and Orthoptera were also recorded. Heteropteran diversity was found to be typical of that expected for other natural areas in Illinois, though orthopteran diversity was much lower and may be related to structural aspects of the respective habitats. Cluster analysis of our presence/absence data revealed marked differences in site similarity between orthopteran and heteropteran species assemblages. Cover photo: Dark (top) and pale (bottom) color forms of the female admirable grasshopper, Syrbula admirabilis (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Gomphocerinae), a slant--faced grasshopper species commonly encountered in southwestern Illinois. Note the wavy color pattern on the tegmen (forewing) that is characteristic of this species.

Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, Aug 30, 2013

The springtail (Hexapoda: Collembola) fauna of eight caves (Wizard Cave, Pautler Cave, Spider Cav... more The springtail (Hexapoda: Collembola) fauna of eight caves (Wizard Cave, Pautler Cave, Spider Cave, Wanda's Waterfall Cave, Illinois Caverns, Stemler Cave, Hidden Hand Cave, and Bat Sump Cave) in the Salem Plateau of southwestern Illinois (Monroe and St. Clair counties) was surveyed in 2009 using a combination of methods, including pitfall traps, Berlese-funnel processing of litter, and hand collections by quadrat, on drip pools, free standing bait, and random locations. In total, forty-nine species of springtails were found. Four are described as new to science (Onychiurus pipistrellae n. sp., Pygmarrhopalites fransjanssens n. sp, P. incantator n. sp, and P. salemensis n. sp), four may represent new species but there is insufficient material available to prepare full descriptions (two species in the genus Superodontella, one in Pseudachorutes, one in Sminthurides), and three others (Ceratophysella cf. brevis, C. cf. lucifuga, and Folsomia cf. bisetosa) are identified to species, but differences from the nominal species suggest further studies may indicate the Illinois populations represent distinct forms. In addition, five other species represent new records for Illinois, and eighteen are new cave records for the species in North America. The new records more than double the number of springtails species known from caves in the Salem Plateau region. More than half (twenty-nine) of the species reported are ranked as rare (S1-S2) at the state level. The total number of springtail species in Salem Plateau caves could be more than twice what is recorded in the present study, and more new species and state records should be found when caves in other Illinois karst regions are more thoroughly examined.

was first described from specimens collected in a greenhouse in Paris (Gervais 1844). It has a va... more was first described from specimens collected in a greenhouse in Paris (Gervais 1844). It has a vast geographical distribution of primarily tropical localities in the Old and New World as well as greenhouses in Europe . This species is of particular interest because all populations consist exclusively of parthenogenetic females that reproduce clonally, with the exception of Hawaii (Silvestri 1912) and the Galapagos Islands , where there are males.

Four new species of presumed troglobitic polydesmidan millipeds in two new genera are described f... more Four new species of presumed troglobitic polydesmidan millipeds in two new genera are described from caves in the states of Arizona, Nevada and California. Pratherodesmus, n. gen., is comprised of the type species, P. voylesi , n. sp., P. ecclesia, n. sp., and P. despaini, n. sp. The genus is found in Arizona and California. Nevadesmus ophimontis, n. gen., n. sp., is from White Pine Co., Nevada; the new genus also includes N. hubbsi (Chamberlin) 1943, new combination. All four species were collected in or near United States National Parks, Bureau of Land Management lands, and in a private preserve. All new taxa are authored by W. A. Shear only.

Eight caves in Great Basin National Park (GRBA) were biologically inventoried. In addition to at ... more Eight caves in Great Basin National Park (GRBA) were biologically inventoried. In addition to at least two probable new species (a milliped and a globular springtail), we collected data on location of species in each cave, microhabitat, temperature, humidity, water chemistry parameters. We created collection and monitoring protocols, and made recommendations for management actions based on what we know of the ecological/biological requirements of the taxa. We performed a thorough literature review of all cave fauna from GRBA, and created species lists for each cave that are inclusive of all phyla that have ever been reported from caves in the park.

Thirteen caves in the Toledo District, Belize, were bioinventoried in April 2011 and May 2012. C... more Thirteen caves in the Toledo District, Belize, were bioinventoried in April 2011 and May 2012. Carios azteci (Matheson 1935) was found in five of the caves, representing the first record of C. azteci from Belize, but this species has probably been established in the country as long as the bat hosts were present. Five C. azteci specimens were screened for endosymbiotic and pathogenic microbes using PCR protocol. C. azteci was only found in the dark zone. The only endosymbiont or pathogen detected in the ticks was an unnamed Rickettsiella or Diplorickettsia (Coxiellaceae). Further research into the pathogens and diversity of bat parasites and diseases is an open field of research in the tropics.

Zootaxa, 2009

Six new species of Collembola of the family Arrhopalitidae are described from the United States (... more Six new species of Collembola of the family Arrhopalitidae are described from the United States (Pygmarrhopalites leonardwoodensis sp. nov., P. plethorasari sp. nov., P. youngsteadtii sp. nov., P. buffaloensis sp. nov., P. shoshoneiensis sp. nov., and P. ashcraftensis sp. nov.) from caves in Missouri (2 spp.), Arkansas (2 spp.), Nevada, and Indiana, respectively. These new taxa, which display varying degrees of troglomorphy, are compared with previously known species and bring the total described species in North America to 41.

Ecology and evolution, 2018

The processes of vicariance and dispersal are central to our understanding of diversification, ye... more The processes of vicariance and dispersal are central to our understanding of diversification, yet determining the factors that influence these processes remains a significant challenge in evolutionary biology. Caves offer ideal systems for examining the mechanisms underlying isolation, divergence, and speciation. Intrinsic ecological differences among cavernicolous organisms, such as the degree of cave dependence, are thought to be major factors influencing patterns of genetic isolation in caves. Using a comparative phylogeographic approach, we employed mitochondrial and nuclear markers to assess the evolutionary history of two ecologically distinct groups of terrestrial cave-dwelling springtails (Collembola) in the genera (Arrhopalitidae) and (Tomoceridae) that are codistributed in caves throughout the Salem Plateau-a once continuous karst region, now bisected by the Mississippi River Valley in Illinois and Missouri. Contrasting phylogeographic patterns recovered for troglobiotic ...

Multicapa-RNAM con datos obtenidos en un área del Ecuador Continental, con el objetivo de obtener... more Multicapa-RNAM con datos obtenidos en un área del Ecuador Continental, con el objetivo de obtener valores de ondulación geoidal. Los resultados obtenidos mediante la interpolación con al RNAM presentan errores menores a 15 centímetros Palabras clave.

Speleobiology Notes, May 25, 2013

Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, 2016

More than one-fifth of the documented caves in the United States occur in Tennessee. The obligate... more More than one-fifth of the documented caves in the United States occur in Tennessee. The obligate subterranean biota of Tennessee is rich and diverse, with 200 troglobionts reported from over 660 caves. Fifty troglobionts are known from just 75 of the 1,469 caves in the Appalachian Valley and Ridge physiographic province of eastern Tennessee. Tennessee's Valley and Ridge has been under-sampled relative to other karst areas in the state, limiting our knowledge of cave and karst species diversity and distributions and compromising our ability to identify habitats and species potentially at risk from anthropogenic threats, such as urban sprawl near the metropolitan area of Knoxville. Knowledge of nontroglobiontic species inhabiting caves, including vertebrates, is particularly sparse in this region. Although caves have long been recognized as critical habitats for several bat species, the importance of caves for other vertebrate taxa has received less attention. Caves are important habitats for many other nontroglobiontic vertebrates and should be considered in the management and conservation of these species. Our decade-long study bioinventoried 56 caves in 15 counties and begins to address knowledge gaps in distributions and cave use by vertebrates in the Valley and Ridge and adjacent Blue Ridge Mountains of eastern Tennessee within the Appalachians karst region. In addition, we conducted a thorough review of the literature and museum databases for additional species-occurrence records in those provinces of eastern Tennessee. From these sources, we present an annotated list of 54 vertebrate taxa, including 8 fishes, 19 amphibians (8 anurans and 11 salamanders), 6 reptiles, 3 birds, and 18 mammals. Three species are included on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, while six species are at risk of extinction based on NatureServe conservation rank criteria. Ten bat species are known from 109 caves in 24 eastern Tennessee counties. Our bioinventories documented five bat species in 39 caves, including new records of the federally endangered Gray Bat (Myotis grisescens). We observed visible evidence of whitenose syndrome caused by the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans at four caves in Blount, Roane, and Union counties. We documented two new localities of the only troglobiontic vertebrate in the Valley and Ridge, the Berry Cave Salamander (Gyrinophilus gulolineatus). Despite these efforts, significant sampling gaps remain-only 7.7% of known caves in the Valley and Ridge and Blue Ridge Mountains of eastern Tennessee have records of vertebrate-species occurrence. Moreover, few caves in eastern Tennessee have experienced repeated, comprehensive bioinventories, with the exception of periodic surveys of hibernating bats at selected caves. Future bioinventory efforts should incorporate multiple visits to individual caves, if possible, and more efforts should focus on these understudied areas of eastern Tennessee.

Subterranean Biology, 2016

The Collembola fauna of the Galápagos Islands is relatively unexplored with only thirty-five repo... more The Collembola fauna of the Galápagos Islands is relatively unexplored with only thirty-five reported species. Entomobryoidea, the most diverse superfamily of Collembola, is underrepresented, with only five species reported from the Galápagos. Here we present the findings of the first survey of Collembola from Galápagos lava tube caves, providing a significant update to the total number of entomobryoid Collembola species reported from the Galápagos Islands. Collections made during a March 2014 expedition to study lava tubes of the islands yielded new records for seven species of Entomobryoidea, including four genera not previously reported from the Galápagos Islands:

other community components around the cave (effecting especially trogloxenes) . Fort Leonard Wood... more other community components around the cave (effecting especially trogloxenes) . Fort Leonard Wood is in the Upper Ozark section of the Ozark Natural Division (Nelson 1987). Geologically, this Section is part of the Salem Plateau. Most of the area is highly dissected and was originally forested, although large, broad, gentle plains also occur, some of which had prairie and savanna vegetation. Prairie made up only about 2 percent of the Section. Bottomland deciduous forest is common due to the number and size of the streams. Limestone and sandstone glades, bluffs, caves, springs, calcareous wet meadows, losing streams, and streams with entrenched meanders are common features of the Upper Ozark Section . This study demonstrates and tests a protocol for monitoring the biota at Ft. Leonard Wood caves so that potential changes to the natural community caused by human activities or other disturbances can be recognized and acted upon by natural resource specialists. The objective of this project is to develop and field-test a protocol for base-line inventorying and subsequent periodic monitoring of the nature and condition of natural resources located in caves at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Using the field forms in Appendix 1, each of thirteen caves (Chucks Virgin Cave,

NCKRI SYMPOSIUM 3 117 monitoring are possible, a framework for deciding how to prioritize invento... more NCKRI SYMPOSIUM 3 117 monitoring are possible, a framework for deciding how to prioritize inventory and monitoring activities, and references to specific protocols that are already in place at NPS cave parks.

Given the above facts, we felt it was important to obtain baseline data on the Illinois populatio... more Given the above facts, we felt it was important to obtain baseline data on the Illinois population of F. antroecetes, including abundance, evaluation of microhabitat preferences, and characterization of genetic diversity: 1. Abundance and microhabitats. Basic information on snail abundance for F. antroecetes is unavailable. We proposed to use a quadrat sampling approach to carry out baseline population monitoring, and to characterize microhabitat availability in these quadrats. This information will: A. Establish baseline information on population densities. B. Establish baseline data on microhabitat utilization. C. Evaluate the variability in densities by microhabitat in Stemler Cave. D. Evaluate the variability in densities over time (i.e., over multiple monitoring events). 2. Genetic diversity. Estimating genetic diversity of the Stemler Cave population of F. antroecetes will facilitate better management and recovery of the species in several ways: A. In a scenario where this population is extirpated, it will allow us to identify which of the remaining populations would be the most appropriate source for reintroduction (i.e., genetically most similar). B. It will allow us to assess whether there has been a genetic bottleneck in this population. C. Using the genetic data, it may be possible to estimate the effective poulation size in Stemler Cave. 3 D. The genetic data could help determine whether or not the Stemler Cave population is con--specific with the Missouri populations currently recognized under the same name. Methods We used a quadrat approach to quantify snail densities. The quadrat was constructed of PVC pipe, with dimensions of 0.316 m x 0.316 m, or an area of 0.1 m 2 . Within Stemler Cave, we defined five sampling areas, labeled A through E, at locations increasingly remote from the entrance (Figure ). These areas were selected to have sufficient

Subterranean Biology, 2015

A new population of velvet worms (Onychophora) inhabiting a lava tube cave in the island of Santa... more A new population of velvet worms (Onychophora) inhabiting a lava tube cave in the island of Santa Cruz, Galapagos, is reported here. The population size is large, suggesting that they may be troglophilic. Its members are darkly pigmented, with no obvious troglomorphic features. Their 16S rRNA sequence showed no differences when compared to an unidentified species of surface velvet worm from the same island, thus supporting cave and surface populations belong to the same species. Based on the 16S rRNA data, the Galapagos velvet worms derived from an Ecuadorian/Colombian clade, as would be expected of ease of dispersal from the nearest mainland to the Galapagos Islands.

ZooKeys, 2013

Species diagnosis in Trogolaphysa has been based, until now, almost exclusively on number of eyes... more Species diagnosis in Trogolaphysa has been based, until now, almost exclusively on number of eyes and shape of claws and mucro. Chaetotaxy, a character system important to diagnose species in other genera of scaled Entomobryoidea, has been described only for a few Trogolaphysa species. Here the complete dorsal chaetotaxy of six species of Trogolaphysa is described using the AMS and Szeptycki's systems for head and body, respectively. A morphology-based parsimony analysis was performed to evaluate whether chaetotaxic characters overcome the influence of putatively cave adaptive convergent characters to resolve species level relationships, and to evaluate the evolution of the dorsal macrochaetae of the head. Phylogenetic analysis using only putative cave-adaptive characters support clades of unrelated taxa, but the addition of chaetotaxy overcomes the influence of convergent characters. A phylogeny based on all characters supports a trend towards reduced head macrochaetae number. Head macrochaetae are lost beginning with A3 and followed, in order, by S5, S3 and M3. In addition, a checklist of New World Trogolaphysa is provided and two new species, Trogolaphysa giordanoae sp. n. and Trogolaphysa jacobyi sp. n., are described on the basis of material collected in six caves in southern Belize.

ZooKeys, 2011

Camptochaeta prolixa sp. n. (Diptera, Sciaridae) is described from caves in Nevada, and three oth... more Camptochaeta prolixa sp. n. (Diptera, Sciaridae) is described from caves in Nevada, and three other congeneric species are recorded from caves in Nevada and Arkansas, United States. The new species shows some indication to a subterranean mode of life, including long antenna and legs, and in some specimens, reduction of the eye bridge.