Ammopelmatus cahuilaensis (commonly known as the Coachella Valley Jerusalem cricket) is a species of insect in the family Stenopelmatidae. The species is found in the Coachella Valley and was described by Ernest R. Tinkham in 1968, in The Great Basin Naturalist.[1]
| Ammopelmatus cahuilaensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Ensifera |
| Family: | Stenopelmatidae |
| Genus: | Ammopelmatus |
| Species: | A. cahuilaensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Ammopelmatus cahuilaensis (Tinkham, 1968)
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| Synonyms | |
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Type specimen
editThe holotype specimen is a male and is at the California Academy of Sciences.[2] According to Tinkham, the species can be distinguished from other Jerusalem crickets as follows: Foretibiae bearing only two ventral apical spurs immediately posterioradly of the third and fourth calcars. Caudal tibiae with three dorsal apical or subapical teeth on each margin.
Range and habitat
editIt is endemic to the United States, specifically the Coachella Valley of California.[3] They have been found from the Snow Creek to the sand dune areas surrounding the Palm Springs airport. Their preference is for sandy to somewhat gravelly soil and are considered a sand obligate species. They are found associated with the roots of local sunflower species, Ambrosia sp. and Encelia sp.[4]
Despite the arid environments in which they are found, they prefer high humidity and are most commonly observed following winter or spring rainstorms.beneath surface debris. During the hot and dry summer they pass daylight hours in deep burrows, only occasionally being found on the surface at night. Their preference for the western edge of the valley, which is cooler and more moist than the eastern part, may mean that they have a highly restricted range.[4]
Their food preference is for tubers, roots, and various plant detritus, but have also been observed consuming dead animals and are occasionally cannibalistic. The females lay small clusters of large eggs in soil pockets. Their life cycle may extend for three or more years.[4]
Sources
edit- Orthopteroid Specialist Group (1996). "Stenopelmatus cahuilaensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T20762A9230024. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T20762A9230024.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
References
edit- ^ Ernest R. Tinkham (30 September 1968). "Studies in Nearctic desert sand dune Orthoptera. Part 11. A new arenicolous species of Stenopelmatus from Coachella Valley with key and biological notes". The Great Basin Naturalist. XXVIII (3). Provo, Utah: M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University: 124–131. ISSN 0017-3614.
- ^ "Species Ammopelmatus cahuilaensis (Tinkham, 1968): Orthoptera Species File".
- ^ "Species Profile for Coachella Valley jerusalem cricket (Stenopelmatus cahuilaensis)". ecos.fws.gov. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011.
- ^ a b c California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment for the Coachella Valley, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains Trails Management Plan, Riverside County: Environmental Impact Statement. 2002. p. 26.