Cave-dwelling arthropods and vertebrates of North Rim Grand Canyon, with notes on ecology and management

Wynne, J.; Voyles, Kyle

Based on invertebrate and vertebrate inventory work conducted during 2005 and 2006, we provide future directions for conservation and management for caves on Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument, northwestern Arizona. Baseline investigations to find and identify arthropods, bats, and other vertebrates were conducted at 7 of the largest known caves on the monument. We identified 52 morphospecies including 44 arthropods, 4 bats, and 4 other vertebrates. Of the cave-dwelling arthropods, we found 10 eisodophiles, 6 troglophiles, 8 questionable troglophiles, 7 trogloxenes, 8 accidentals, 3 taxa of unknown cave affiliations, and 2 mammalian parasites. We made several contributions to the entomological record including 2 new genera, 6 new species, 3 possible new species, one range extension, and one possible range extension. Also, we identified 5 bat roosts—1 hibernaculum, 2 night roosts, and 3 summer roosts of unconfirmed use. Observed arthropod richness per cave ranged from 1 to 14 morphospecies, and observed bat and other vertebrate (combined) richness was 1–3 morphospecies.