Journal of Cave and Karst Studies - ISSN 1090-6924
Volume 61 Number 2: 93-101 - August 1999


A publication of the National Speleological Society


Invertebrate Cave Fauna of Kartchner Caverns, Kartchner Caverns, Arizona
W. Calvin Welbourn

Abstract

The invertebrate cave fauna of Kartchner Caverns, Kartchner Caverns State Park, Cochise Co., Arizona, was surveyed between 1989 and 1991. Thirty-eight invertebrate species were recorded during the study, including (11%) troglobites, 19 (50%) troglophiles, 1 trogloxene and 12 (32%) accidentals. Of the remaining, 1 was an obligate parasite and the other a guanophile. Most of the Kartchner Caverns cave fauna depend upon guano deposited by a summer colony of Myotis velifer. The dominant arthropods were mites found in the guano.

This page last updated: 8 May, 2003 17:48
Web Author: Jim Pisarowicz