Orconectes (Orconectes) australis packardi Rhoades 1944

Orconectes australis packardi Rhoades

Orconectes pellucidus packardi Rhoades, 1944:113, 115, 117, 118, 121–122, figs. 3a–f [Type-locality: Cumberland Crystal Cave (=Sloans Valley Cave) at Alpine, Pulaski County, Kentucky].—Hobbs, 1948a: 16, 19, 21, figs. 8, 11.—Eberly, 1958:3.—Cole, 1959:81.—Eberly, 1960:30.—Hart and Hobbs, 1961: 180.—Rhoades, 1962:65, 68, 79, 90.—Hart and Hart, 1966:8, 9.

Cambarus pellucidus.—Jillson, 1954:23.

Orconectes pellucidus.—Eberly, 1958:1–6 [in part].

Orconectes (Orconectes) pellucidus.—Hobbs, 1959:890 [in part].

Orconectes pellucidus packardii.—Nicholas, 1960:133.

Orconectes australis packardi.—Barr, 1967a: 161, 190.

Orconectes.—Barr, 1968:85 [in part].

REVIEW OF LITERATURE.—Orconectes australis packardi was described by Rhoades (1944:121). His description, consisting of comparisons with O. pellucidus and O. australis australis together with six figures and measurements of the primary types, is quoted in full: “O. pellucidus packardi differs from O. pellucidus pellucidus by having a shorter acumen, smoother carapace, longer areola, more ovate antennal scale, and more strongly curved tips of the gonopod. O. p. pellucidus always has hooks on both the third and fourth walking legs but they are not always present on the fourth walking legs of O. p. packardi.

“O. p. packardi differs from O. pellucidus australis (Rhoades) (1941) in having a much shorter areola and thicker, longer tips on the gonopods. Also O. p. australis has hooks only on the third walking legs.” He also assigned the subspecies of O. pellucidus to his new “Group rafinesquei.” In addition to the type-locality, Rhoades listed a sight record for Eureka Cave, six miles west of Parker Lake, McCreary County, Kentucky.

Hobbs (1948a) presented a key to the species belonging to the Limosus Section of the genus Orconectes, depicted certain diagnostic features, and questioned the advisability of recognizing the subdivision of the Limosus Section into the Limosus and Rafinesquei groups as proposed by Rhoades (1944:113).

Jillson (1954) reported the presence of this crayfish in the type-locality.

Eberly (1958 and 1960), primarily concerned with competition between O. inermis (= his O. pellucidus) and Cambarus laevis (=C. bartonii laevis), presented speculations concerning the relationships and origins of the troglobitic members of the genus but presented no additional information concerning O. australis packardi.

Hobbs (1959), in his key to the crayfishes, referred to this subspecies as one of four of Orconectes (O.) pellucidus occurring between southern Indiana and northern Alabama.

Nicholas (1960) included this crayfish in his checklist of macroscopic troglobitic organisms of the United States and indicated that its range included “Caves of Pulaski Co., Kentucky.”

Hart and Hobbs (1961) indicated that Orconectes pellucidus packardi serves as host for Dactylocythere prionata (=Entocythere prionata) which they described from Wind Cave, Pulaski County, Kentucky.

Rhoades (1962) presented a short diagnosis of this subspecies and offered a postulate concerning its origin, essentially assuming that it was derived by a “separation of a segment of O. pellucidus in the caves of southeastern Kentucky….”

Hart and Hart (1966) cited three new locality records in reporting the hosts of the entocytherid Sagittocythere barri which were obtained from the national collection of crayfishes.

Barr (1967a) utilized the new combination O. australis packardi, anticipating the completion of the present study prior to that of his ecological treatment of Mammoth Cave. In 1968, he indicated that “Three or four separate colonizations are postulated to account for the known troglobitic species of Orconectes and their present distribution.”

COMMENTS ON PREVIOUSLY RECORDED DATA.—As is obvious from the above summary of our previous knowledge of this subspecies, almost nothing was known about it, and the available descriptions and figures are brief and incomplete. Except for confusion that might arise from the statement that the areola of this subspecies is shorter than that of O. a. australis, Rhoades’ list of differential characters are clear and concise. Whereas most populations of O. a. australis attain a greater length than O. a. packardi, and the absolute length of the areola is therefore greater, there is an overlap in the range of variation in respect to the ratio of the areola length to carapace length. Most members of O. a. packardi, however, exhibit a proportionately longer areola than do most O. a. australis, the former ranging from 37.1 to 43.8 percent, and the latter from 34.1 to 41.9 percent of the entire length of the carapace. As pointed out above, usually this difference is a reflection of rostral length rather than one in the length of the areola.

DIAGNOSIS.—Albinistic; eyes reduced and without pigment; rostrum with marginal spines or tubercles delimiting base of usually short acumen, margins converging, its upper surface concave and lacking median carina; postorbital ridges terminating cephalically in small spines or tubercles; hepatic area with or without small spiniform tubercles; at least one cervical spine or tubercle present, occasionally as many as five; areola 4.2 to 5.9 times longer than broad and constituting 37.1 to 43.8 percent of total length of carapace; mesial surface of palm of chela with several irregular rows of tubercles; well-developed hooks on ischiopodites of third pereiopods and small or rudimentary ones often on those of fourth. First pleopod of first-form male with length of greatest cephalocaudal diameter of pleopod less than twice that immediately proximal to base of central projection, and always terminating in two terminal elements, caudal process absent or extremely vestigial; broad, non-corneous mesial process directed somewhat caudally and distolaterally so that corneous central projection, extending distally only slightly beyond mesial process, almost completely visible in caudal aspect; cephalodistal margin with distinct angle at base of central projection. Annulus ventralis approximately 1.7 times broader than long, and as illustrated in Figure 4k.

Holotypic Male, Form I: Body (Figure 4c, l) subovate, depressed. Abdomen narrower than thorax (9.8 and 11.1 mm in widest parts, respectively). Width of carapace greater than depth in region of caudodorsal margin of cervical groove (11.1 and 9.2 mm). Areola broad (about 4 times longer than wide), with widely scattered minute punctations, only 3· or 4 across narrowest part. Cephalic section of carapace about 1.5 times as long as areola; length of areola 42.4 percent of length of carapace. Rostrum approximately 1.6 times as long as broad, excavate, and with acumen (although broken) slightly more than 3/5 as long as width of rostrum at base; cephalic extremity reaching almost to distal end of peduncle of antennule; margins not swollen, only slightly elevated, and with small corneous tubercles at base of acumen; upper surface with widely spaced minute setiferous punctations; subrostral ridges moderately strong and, in dorsal aspect, evident to almost midway between caudal margin of orbit and marginal tubercles.

Postorbital ridges rather weak, short, with shallow dorsolateral grooves, and terminating cephalically in minute tubercles. Suborbital angle lacking. Branchiostegal spines acute. Five or six small, spiniform cervical tubercles present on each side of carapace immediately caudal to cervical groove. Carapace punctate dorsally and granulate laterally; hepatic area with few very small acute tubercles but lacking spines. Abdomen longer than carapace (29.0 and 26.2 mm). Cephalic section of telson with 2 strong spines in each caudolateral corner, mesial ones movable.

Epistome (Figure 4j) broadly rounded cephalically, with prominent subacute cephalomedian extension, surface concave (dorsally), with crowded setae. Eyes much reduced, completely hidden beneath rostrum in dorsal aspect and extending cephalically slightly less than halfway between caudodorsal margin of orbit and marginal tubercles of rostrum. Antennules of usual form with prominent spine near distal end of ventral surface of basal segment. Antennae extending caudally almost to caudal margin of telson. Antennal scale (Figure 4i) broadest near midlength, almost half as broad as long; outer thickened portion much narrower than lamellar area and terminating distally in prominent corneous-tipped spine. Third maxillipeds extending slightly beyond proximal end of distal segment of peduncle of antenna.

Chela (Figure 4f) moderately heavy and somewhat inflated; mesial margin of palm about 1.2 times longer than width of palm; dorsal surface of palmar area tuberculate mesially and proximally, otherwise punctate, both tubercles and punctations with fine setae; ventral surface of palm heavily tuberculate mesially and punctate laterally, and without spine at base of articulation with dactyl; tubercles along mesial portion of palm arranged in irregular longitudinal series, innermost row of about 14 tubercles. Fingers not gaping; dorsal and ventral surfaces of both with rounded longitudinal ridges flanked by setiferous punctations; opposable margin of immovable finger with row of 7 rounded corneous tubercles, fourth from base largest, and several minute ones continuing row distally; at lower level of same margin, large tubercle present just distal to seventh tubercle of upper row; several rows of minute denticles extending distally from seventh tubercle in upper row to corneous tip of finger; lateral margin of finger subcostate; opposable margin of dactyl with row of 16 tubercles, sixth from base largest, those beyond eighth exceedingly small; two or three rows of minute denticles extending distally from eighth tubercle to corneous tip of finger; mesial surface of dactyl with small tubercles proximally and punctations distally. Carpus longer than broad, with proximal two-thirds of mesial, dorsal, and lateral surfaces tuberculate; ventral surface tuberculate proximally and mesially, otherwise punctate; mesial surface with 3 prominent corneous-tipped spines, largest near midlength, another proximal to it, and third immediately ventral to largest; ventrodistal margin with prominent spine mesially and conspicuous tubercle laterally, latter articulating with socket on proximoventral surface of propodus. Merus mostly tuberculate except ventrolaterally; tubercles along entire dorsal surface generally increasing in size distally, but none corneous-tipped; ventrolateral margin with somewhat irregular row of 11 spikelike tubercles and ventromesial margin with approximately 12; scattered tubercles closely flanking both rows. Ischium with tubercles along outer and opposable margins, opposable margin with row of 7 flanked by additional ones.

Ischia of third pereiopods only (Figure 4h) with strong, simple, tapering hooks projecting proximally beyond distal margin of basis. Coxae of fourth pereiopods with caudomesially projecting prominences; coxae of fifth pereiopods without prominences except for small mesioventral projections at base of phallic papillae.

First pleopods (Figure 4a, e, g) symmetrical, barely reaching level of caudal margins of coxae of third pereiopods when abdomen is flexed, and shallowly situated in sternal groove; tip ending in two parts as described in Diagnosis.

Allotypic Female: Differs from holotype in following respects: tip of rostrum extending slightly beyond peduncle of antennule; cervical tubercles smaller; epistome, injured in previous instar, with distinct subangular emargination on cephalodextral border; chela with 10 tubercles along inner margin of palm, tubercles more conspicuous and more linearly arranged on dorsomesial surface of palm, ventral surface of palm less tuberculate, most setae on chela longer, single row of minute denticles along almost entire opposable margin of immovable finger interrupted by row of 18 very small corneous tubercles along proximal three-fourths, opposable margin of dactyl similar but with 21 small tubercles; carpus of cheliped with large mesial spine bifurcate; spine ventral to it not conspicuously larger than other adjacent ones. (See measurements.)

Annulus ventralis (Figure 4k) roughly subovate in outline, with high, longitudinal, median elevation devoid of shallow longitudinal trough; elevation highest (ventrally) along caudal half; subangular sinus low on midcaudal face.

Morphotypic Male, Form II: Differs from holotype in following respects: rostral margins convex laterally; only single cervical tubercle present; cephalic section of telson with three spines in caudodextral corner; chela closely resembling that of allotype but much smaller and slenderer.

First pleopods (Figure 4b, d) essentially similar to that of holotype but terminal elements shorter with central projection more rounded and non-corneous; cephalic surface lacking angle at base of central projection.

MEASUREMENTS (in millimeters).—Orconectes australis packardi:

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and morphotype, USNM 81310, 81312, 81331 (♂ I, ♀, ♂II); Paratypes, Museum of Comparative Zoology, USNM, and collection of Rendell Rhoades.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Cumberland Crystal Cave (Sloans Valley Cave) at Sloans Valley, Pulaski County, Kentucky.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—Specimens from Kentucky were examined as follows:

McCreary County: (1) Eureka Cave, 0.6 mile NNW of Nevelsville, 1 ♂ I, 1 ♀, T.C.B., II/14/59. (2) Steele Hollow Cave, 1.7 miles WNW of Bell Farm, 1 ♂ I, T.C.B. and Russell M. Norton, IX/26/64. Pulaski County: (1) type-locality, 1 ♂ I, 1 ♀, G. H. Ehlers, X/8/41; 2 ♂ II, G.H.E., date unknown; 1 ♂ I, 1 ♀, R. Rhoades, X/7/41; 1 ♂ II, 1 ♀, G.H.E., 1/25/42; 2 ♂ I, 1 ♂ II, 1 ♀, T.C.B., VIII/9/63; 4♂I, 3♂II, 4♀, 1j♂, 1j♀, S.B.P., W. M. Andrews, and R.M.N., XI/5/64; 1 ♂ I, R. Walker, J. Purcell, and C. Harrell, II/20/65. (2) Hydens Cave, 1.3 mi. NE of Blue John, about 6 miles from Sloans Valley, 2 ♂ I, 2 ♂ II, 3 ♀, T.C.B., S.B.P., and W.M.A., VI/10/64. (3) Old Kentucky Cave, 6 miles S of Somerset, 2 ♂ I, 1 ♂ II, 8 ♀, 1j♀, 1 ♀ with young, James R. Reddell and T.C.B., I/29/67; 1 ♂ I, 1 ♂ II, 2 ♀, 1j♂, Terrence G. Marsh, R.M.N., and L. Merkle, III/4/67. (4) Pourover Cave, 0.8 mile ENE of Colo in Happy Hollow, 4♀, T.C.B. and W.M.A., VI/2/65. (5) Wind Cave, 5.0 miles SE of Somerset, 1 ♀, T.C.B., XII/16/56; 2 ♂ II, 1 ♀, T.C.B., IX/3/59; 1 ♂ II, Jerry H. Carpenter and T.G.M., II/8/69. (6) Baker Cave, near Plato, 1 ♂ I, David P. Beiter and T.G.M., III/2/68; numerous small specimens stranded on gravel after flood [sight record], T.C.B., II/1962. Rockcastle County: (1) Duvalt Cave, 3 miles SE of Mt. Vernon, near head of East Fork, 1 ♂ II, 1 ♀, S.B.P., VIII/30/64. (2) Fletchers Spring Cave, 1.0 mile N of Sand Springs on Dry Fork, 2 ♂ II, T.C.B. and R. A. Kuehne, VI/14/62; 1 ♂ I, 1 ♀, T.G.M., II/20/68. (3) Pine Hill Cave, at Pine Hill on U.S. hwy. 25, 1 ♂ I, S.B.P., IX/7/64; 4 ♀, J.R.R., IV/7/67; 1 ♂ II, J. P. Voigt, IX/9/65; 1 ♀, L. G. Carr, date unknown. (4) Teamers Cave, 1.2 miles NE of Mullins, 1 ♀, T.C.B., V/11/63; 1♀, T.C.B., VI/18/63. Wayne County: (1) Blowing Cave, 0.75 mile SE of Sunnybrook at head of Carpenters Fork, 1 ♂ I, T.G.M. and Andrew R. Boone, VIII/21/67; 2♀, R.A.K., VII/25/65. (2) Horse Hollow Cave, 0.75 mile NW of Parmleysville in Horse Hollow, 1 ♂ II, 6 ♀, 1j ♀, S.B.P., VII/15/64. (3) Kogers Cave, 2.0 miles N of Hidalgo on west side of Shearer Valley, 1 ♂ I, T.C.B. and W.M.A., II/5/67; 1 ♂ II, J.H.C. and T.G.M., VII/13/68. (4) Johnson Fork Cave. 0.4 mile E of Burfield on north side of Johnson Fork, 1 ♀, T.C.B., VII/10/64.

Two females of this species in the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle in Genéve bear the label “grottee des montagnes de Cumberland”; paratypes are in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, and that of Rendell Rhoades. The latter paratypes have not been examined by us.

RANGE.—This subspecies seems to be confined to subterranean passages in the upper Cumberland drainage system in southeastern Kentucky. In the southernmost localities in the State and in those in the northern part of Tennessee, the characteristics indicate that packardi intergrades with the nominate subspecies.

A geographic parallel exists between the australis australis–australis packardi contact zone and the peripheral distribution of certain troglobitic beetles (Carabidae, Trechini) which one of us (Barr) is currently investigating. The comparatively large (6–7 mm), eyeless beetles of the genus Nelsonites Valentine (1952) occur in many of the same caves. Nelsonites jonesi Valentine and Darlingtonea kentuckensis Valentine occupy roughly the same range as O. a. packardi in the Kentucky Cumberland Plateau, extending a little farther north in the Kentucky River drainage into a few caves which packardi has not attained. Nelsonites walteri Valentine, on the other hand, occurs in Tennessee from Fentress to Van Buren County, thus coexisting with O. a. australis throughout the northern half of its range. The range of the large (7–8 mm) and very abundant Darlingtonea kentuckensis stops with a single Tennessee cave record just south of the Kentucky border. The Tennessee-Kentucky boundary is the approximate dividing line separating still other elements of the regional trechine fauna. To the north (Wayne, Clinton, and McCreary counties, Kentucky) are Ameroduvalius jeanneli Valentine and a series of undescribed species of the robustus and pubescens groups of Pseudanophthalmus (T. Barr, manuscript in preparation). To the south (Overton, Fentress, and Pickett counties, Tennessee) are Pseudanophthalmus beaklei Valentine, P. valentinei Jeannel, and one or more species of the intermedius group of Pseudanophthalmus. This general zoogeographic phenomenon is thus expressed in two very different groups of troglobitic arthropods. No extrinsic barrier is postulated as the cause, since the various trechine ranges show slight overlap and our interpretation of australis s. str. and packardi as geographic races of polytypic australis implies at least a limited amount of gene flow.

VARIATIONS.—In Wayne County, the single female specimen from Johnson Fork Cave (Figure 5n) has two strong cervical spines, and the acumen of the rostrum is distinctly longer than that of those specimens from the other two localities. In a number of respects, including the extreme development of spines, the slender cheliped with longer fingers, and the short areola, it resembles specimens from Eureka Cave, McCreary County.

A single small first-form male from Blowing Cave (Figure 5m), except for a reduction in the sizes of the cervical and hepatic tubercles, seems fairly typical of the subspecies. The first pleopod has a slight prominence in the area on which the caudal process is so well developed in O. a. australis.

The populations in Horse Hollow (Figure 5k) and Kogers (Figure 5l) caves are quite similar, having most spines on the carapace reduced to tubercles and possessing weak marginal spines on the rostrum. The single first-form male has hooks on both the third and fourth pereiopods, and the first pleopod has a rounded shoulder on the cephalic surface and a very small caudal process (Figure 8e).

Among the specimens from McCreary County, ali are small, the rostrum is short with convergent margins, and the cervical and hepatic spines are strongly developed in the two from Eureka Cave (Figure 5i) but practically obsolete in that from Steele Hollow Cave (Figure 5j). The areola is proportionately shorter in these two localities (constituting 37.1 to 38.4 percent of the total length of the carapace) than in any other known for the subspecies except the one specimen from nearby Johnson Fork Cave (Figure 5n), Wayne County (37.6 percent). The merus of the cheliped bears unusually long spines in the Eureka Cave specimens, and hooks are present only on the ischia of the third pair of pereiopods. Eureka Cave is seasonally inundated by waters of Lake Cumberland, an impoundment of the Cumberland River, and the long spines may be related to the deep quiet pools in which these individuals live.

In specimens from the type-locality (Figure 5d, e), the rostrum is usually short, with an acumen of variable length; a few small hepatic spines are generally apparent. The length of the areola ranges from 38.5 to 43.1 percent of the entire length of the carapace. The spines on the merus of the cheliped are usually well developed, but never so long as in specimens from Eureka Cave, and small or rudimentary hooks are more frequently present on the ischiopodites of the fourth pereiopod than not.

Among other specimens from Pulaski County, those from Old Kentucky Cave possess hooks on both the third and fourth pereiopods but cervical and hepatic spines are reduced to rounded tubercles. Those specimens from other caves in the county exhibit hardly more variations than are noted among individuals from the type-locality, except those from Pourover (Figure 5g), Hydens (Figure 5h), and Baker caves have fewer spines on the carapace, and have areolae that constitute no less than 40.3 percent of the carapace length. In one male from the latter locality, the major spine on the mesial surface of the carpus of the chela has four corneous tips, and on that of the other male there are three. The latter male possesses an accessory “projection” (Figure 8c, d) on the mesiodistal surfaces of both first pleopods that could be interpreted as a vestigial “cephalic process,” but comparable prominences are lacking in the pleopods of the other male.

The two first-form males from Rockcastle County have hooks only on the third pereiopod. In most of the specimens, the cervical and hepatic spines are reduced both in number and size; in some, only a single small cervical spine is evident, and the female from Teamers Cave has only a vestige of a cervical spine. The four specimens from Duvalt (Figure 5a) and Teamers (Figure 5b) caves have proportionately longer areolae (40.5 to 43.7 percent) than do three of the four from Pine Hill (Figure 5c) and Fletcher Spring caves.

In the apparent absence of clines, and so few specimens from the assumed area of intergradation, our evidence for the admixture of the gene pools of these two taxa are limited; the continuity of the karst belt occupied by them, however, enhances the supposition that the two represent geographic races of a single species.

SIZE.—The largest specimen available is a female possessing a carapace length of 33.3 mm. This crayfish was collected from Pourover Cave, Pulaski County, Kentucky. The largest first-form male (28.0 mm) was found in Hydens Cave, Pulaski County, and the smallest (13.8 mm), in Baker Cave, Pulaski County.

Orconectes australis packardi Rhoades

Orconectes pellucidus packardi R. Rhoades, 1944:113, 115, 117, 121–122, fig. 3a–f; 1962:65, 68–69, 79, 90–92, fig. 8,—Hobbs, 1948a:19, 21, figs. 8, 11.—Eberly, 1958:3; 1960:30.—Cole, 1959:81.—Hart and Hobbs, 1961:180.—Cooper and Beiter, 1972:880.—Hobbs and Barr, 1972:2, 12, 22, 63.

Cambarus pellucidus.—Jillson, 1954:23.—Hobbs and Barr, 1972:51 [in part].

Orconectes pellucidus.—Eberly, 1958:1, 2 [in part]; 1960:29, 30 [in part].—Barr, 1960:5 [in part].—Moore and Nicholas, 1964:71 [in part].—Hobbs and Barr, 1972:22, 40–41 [in part].

Orconectes (Orconectes) pellucidus.—Hobbs, 1959:890 [in part].—Hobbs and Barr, 1972:12, 51.

Orconectes pellucidus packardii.—Nicholas, 1960:133.—C. W. Hart and D. G. Hart, 1966:8, 9.—D. G. Hart and C. W. Hart, 1974:115.

Orconectes australis packardi.—Barr, 1967a:161, 190, 191.—Hobbs III, 1971a:140, 144; 1975:276, 296 [by implication], fig. 2.—Hobbs and Barr, 1972:2, 4, 8–11, 13, 14, 18, 21–32, 35, 41, 81–83, figs. 2, 4, 5a–n, 8a–h.—Hobbs, 1972b:78, 148, figs. 60d, 61c; 1974b:27, fig. 98.—D. G. Hart and C. W. Hart, 1974:67, 71, 72, 74, 82, 134.

Orconectes.—Barr, 1968:85 [in part].

Orconectes australis.—Barr and Holsinger, 1971:115 [in part].—Hobbs and Barr, 1972:4, 8–10, 35, 65 [in part].

Orconectes pellucidus ssp.—D. G. Hart and C. W. Hart, 1974:115.

DIAGNOSIS.—Hobbs and Barr (1972:23):

Albinistic; eyes reduced and without pigment; rostrum with marginal spines or tubercles;…postorbital ridges terminating cephalically in small spines or tubercles; hepatic area with or without small spiniform tubercles; at least one cervical spine or tubercle present, occasionally as many as five; areola 4.2 to 5.9 times longer than broad and constituting 37.1 to 43.8 percent of total length of carapace;…hooks on ischiopodites of third pereiopods [of males] and small or rudimentary ones often on those of fourth. First pleopod of first form male with length of greatest cephalocaudal diameter of pleopod less than twice that immediately proximal to base of central projection, and always terminating in two terminal elements, caudal process absent or extremely vestigial; broad, noncorneous mesial process directed somewhat caudally and distolaterally so that corneous central projection, extending distally only slightly beyond mesial process, almost completely visible in caudal aspect; cephalodistal margin with distinct angle at base of central projection.

SIZE.—Carapace length 32.0 mm; postorbital carapace length 25.6 mm.

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and “morphotype,” USNM 81310, 81312, 81311 ( I, , II); paratypes, MCZ, USNM, RR.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Cumberland Crystal Cave [= Sloans Valley Cave] at Sloans Valley, Pulaski County, Kentucky, U.S.A.

RANGE.—U.S.A. This crayfish seems to be confined to subterranean passages in the upper Cumberland drainage system in southeastern Kentucky. In the southernmost localities in the state and in those in the northern part of Tennessee, the characteristics indicate that gene exchange occurs between it and the nominate subspecies.

The following localities, unless accompanied by references or collectors and/or dates, were taken from Hobbs and Barr (1972:27, 29).

Kentucky. McCreary County: (1) Eureka Cave, 0.6 mi (1 km) NNW of Nevelsville (R. Rhoades, 1944:121); (2) Steele Hollow Cave, 1.7 mi (2.7 km) WNW of Bell Farm. Pulaski County: (3) type-locality; (4) Hydens Cave, 1.3 mi (2.1 km) NE of Blue John, about 6 mi (9.7 km) from Sloans Valley (C. W. Hart and D. G. Hart, 1966:8); (5) Old Kentucky Cave, 6 mi (9.7 km) S of Somerset; (6) Pourover Cave, 0.8 mi (1.3 km) ENE of Colo in Happy Hollow; (7) Wind Cave, 5.0 mi (8 km) SE of Somerset (Hart and Hobbs, 1961:180); (8) Baker Cave, near Plato. Rockcastle County: (9) Duvalt Cave, 3 mi (4.8 km) SE of Mt. Vernon; (10) Fletchers Spring Cave, 1.0 mi (1.6 km) N of Sand Springs on Dry Fork; (11) Pine Hill Cave, at Pine Hill on U.S. Hwy. 25 (Hobbs III, 1971a:142); (12) Teamers Cave, 1.2 mi (1.9 km) NE of Mullins (Hart and Hart, 1966:9). Wayne County: (13) Blowing Cave, 0.75 mi (1.2 km) SE of Sunnybrook at head of Carpenters Fork; (14) Horse Hollow Cave, 0.75 mi (1.2 km) NW of Parmleysville in Horse Hollow (C. W. Hart and D. G. Hart, 1966:9); (15) Kogers Cave, 2.0 mi (3.2 km) N of Hidalgo on west side of Shearer Valley; (16) Johnson Fork Cave, 0.4 mi (0.6 km) E of Burfield on N side of Johnson Fork.

ECOLOGICAL

Orconectes australis packardi Rhoades

Orconectes pellucidus packardi Rhoades, 1944a:121, fig. 3a–f.—Hobbs, 1948a:20, figs. 8, 11.—Fitzpatrick, 1963:61 [by implication].

Orconectes (Orconectes) pellucidus packardi.—Hobbs, 1959: 890 [by implication].

Orconectes pellucidus packardii.—Nicholas, 1960:133.

Orconectes australis packardi.—Hobbs and Barr, 1972:4, 22, figs. 2, 4, 5a–n, 8a–h.

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and “morphotype,” USNM 81310, 81312, 81311 (I, , II); paratypes, MCZ, USNM, RR.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Cumberland Crystal Cave (Sloans Valley Cave), Alpine, Pulaski County, Kentucky.

RANGE.—Pulaski and McCreary counties, Kentucky, and south to Tennessee where it intergrades with O. australis australis.

HABITAT.—Subterranean streams.

Orconectes (Orconectes) australis packardi Rhoades

Orconectes pellucidus packardi Rhoades, 1944a:121, fig. 3a—f.—Hobbs, 1948a:20, figs. 8, 11.—Fitzpatrick, 1963:61 [by implication].

Orconectes (Orconectes) pellucidus.—Hobbs, 1959:890 [in part].

Orconectes pellucidus packardii.—Nicholas, 1960:133.

Orconectes australis packardi.—Barr, 1967:161.—Hobbs and Barr, 1972:4, 22, figs. 2, 4, 5a—n, 8a—h.—Hobbs, 1974b:27, fig. 98.

Orconectes (Orconectes) australis packardi.—Fitzpatrick, 1987a:57.

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and “morphotype,” USNM 81310, 81312, 81311 (male I, female, male II); paratypes, MCZ, USNM, OSM.

TYPE LOCALITY.—Cumberland Crystal Cave (Sloans Valley Cave), Alpine, Pulaski County, Kentucky.

RANGE.—Subterranean waters of the Cumberland River basin in southeastern Kentucky, intergrading with the nominate subspecies in Wayne County, Kentucky, and Fentress County, Tennessee.

HABITAT.—Subterranean streams and pools.

Orconectes (Orconectes) incomptus Hobbs and Barr

Orconectes incomptus Hobbs and Barr, 1972:32, fig. 9.—Hobbs, 1974b:31, fig. 99.—Hobbs, Hobbs, and Daniel, 1977:98, fig. 47.

Orconectes (Orconectes) incomptus.—Fitzpatrick, 1987a:57.

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and morphotype, USNM 130299, 130300, 130301 (male I, female, male II); paratypes, USNM, H.H. Hobbs III.

TYPE LOCALITY.—Cherry Cave, 36°28′ 09″N, 85°36′28″W, Jackson County, Tennessee.

RANGE.—Known from only three localities, all in Jackson County, Tennessee.

HABITAT.—Subterranean waters.