Ligidium blueridgensis Schultz 1964
Creators: name: Recuero, Ernesto
name: Caterino, Michael S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Isopoda
Ligiidae
Ligidium
Ligidium blueridgensis

description: Ligidium blueridgensis Schultz, 1964
Figs 16–17
Ligidium blueridgensis Schultz, 1964: 90, pl. 1 figs 1–11, pl. 2 figs 12–14.
Material examined
USA – Georgia • 1 ♀; Rabun Co., Chattahoochee N.F., Rabun Cliffs; 34.9713° N, 83.2978° W; 1244 m a.s.l.; 11 May 2021; M. Caterino and A. Haberski leg.; CUAC000138049 • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; CUAC000180796, CUAC000180797 • 1 ♀; Rabun Co., Chattahoochee N.F., Rabun Cliffs; 34.9709° N, 83.3004° W; 1308 m a.s.l.; 25 Nov. 2019; M. Caterino leg.; CUAC000138078 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; CUAC000171280. – North Carolina • 1 ♀; Avery Co., Grandfather Mountain; 36.0893° N, 81.8388° W; 1387 m a.s.l.; 21 Apr. 2022; M. Caterino, E. Recuero and A. Haberski leg.; CUAC000171348 • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; CUAC000171346, CUAC000171347 • 1 ♀; Avery Co., Grandfather Mountain, Bridge Trail; 36.0948° N, 81.8311° W; 1554 m a.s.l.; 21 Apr. 2022; M. Caterino, E. Recuero and A. Haberski leg.; CUAC000171339 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; CUAC000171340 • 1 ♀; Avery Co., Grandfather Mountain, Grandfather Trail; 36.0978° N, 81.8293° W; 1637 m a.s.l.; 21 Apr. 2022; M. Caterino, E. Recuero and A. Haberski leg.; CUAC000171334 • 3 ♂♂; Caldwell Co., Grandfather Mountain, Boone Scout Trail; 36.1164° N, 81.7844° W; 1259 m a.s.l.; 6 Oct. 2020; M. Caterino, F. Etzler and A. Haberski leg.; CUAC000171307, CUAC000171308, CUAC000138059 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; CUAC000171309 • 1 ♂; Graham Co., Nantahala N.F., Huckleberry Knob; 35.3210° N, 83.9934° W; 1674 m a.s.l.; 4 May 2020; M. Caterino and F. Etzler leg.; CUAC000180792 • 1 ♀; Haywood Co., Black Balsam Knob; 35.3289° N, 82.8745° W; 1839 m a.s.l.; 20 Oct. 2020; M. Caterino and F. Etzler leg.; CUAC000138045 • 1 ♂; Madison Co.: Pisgah N.F.: Camp Creek Bald; 36.0220° N, 82.7167° W; 1445 m a.s.l.; 1 Mar. 2022; M. Caterino, E. Recuero and P. Wooden leg.; CUAC000171352 • 5 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; CUAC000171353 to CUAC000171357 1 ♂; Polk Co., North Pacolet River; 35.2221° N, 82.3059° W; 384 m a.s.l.; 15 Feb. 2022; E. Recuero, M. Caterino, C. Harden and P. Wooden leg.; CUAC000171344 • 1 ♂; Polk Co., Tryon, Melrose Falls; 35.2199° N, 82.2987° W; 407 m a.s.l.; 10 Aug. 2021; E. Recuero, M. Caterino, A.Haberski and P.Wooden leg.; CUAC000171335 • 2♀♀; same data as for preceding; CUAC000171336, CUAC000171337 2 ♂♂; Rutherford Co., Chimney Rock; 35.4372° N, 82.2506° W; 383 m. a.s.l.; 3 Apr. 2023; M. Caterino, E. Recuero and C.W. Harden leg.; CUAC0001169835, CUAC0001169838 • 3 ♂♂; Yancey Co., Pisgah N.F., Woody Ridge Trail; 35.8455° N, 82.2279° W; 1259 m a.s.l.; 19 Oct. 2021; M. Caterino, E. Recuero and A. Haberski leg.; CUAC000180795, CUAC000171326, CUAC000171327 • 6 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; CUAC000171328 to CUAC000171333. – South Carolina • 1 ♀; Greenville Co., Chestnut Ridge H.P., South Pacolet River; 35.1503° N, 82.2804° W; 344 m a.s.l.; 15 Feb. 2022; E. Recuero leg.; CUAC000171350 • 2 ♂♂; Pickens Co., Sassafras Mountain; 35.0647° N, 82.7774° W; 1029 m a.s.l.; 11 Jun. 2020; F.E. Etzler leg.; CUAC000180798, CUAC000180799 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; CUAC000138055. – Tennessee • 1 ♂; Greene Co., Cherokee N.F., Firescald Knob; 36.0337° N, 82.7024° W; 1353 m a.s.l; 1 Mar. 2022; M. Caterino, E. Recuero and P. Wooden leg.; CUAC000171351 • 1 ♀; Sevier Co., Great Smoky Mountains N.P., Mount LeConte; 35.6427° N, 83.4426° W; 1581 m a.s.l.; 28 Sep. 2021; M. Caterino, E. Recuero, A. Haberski and P. Wooden leg.; CUAC000171276 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; CUAC000171338 • 1 ♀; Sevier Co., Smoky Mountains N.P., Mount LeConte, Alum Cave; 35.6382° N, 83.4387° W; 1317 m a.s.l.; 28 Sep. 2021; M. Caterino, E. Recuero, A. Haberski and P. Wooden leg.; CUAC000171325 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; CUAC000171323 • 1 ♀; Sevier Co., Great Smoky Mountains N.P., off Highway 441; 35.6237° N, 83.4163° W; 1394 m a.s.l.; 12 Mar. 2020; M. Caterino and F. Etzler leg.; CUAC000171275 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; CUAC000171299 • 2 imm.; Unicoi Co., Cherokee N.F., Big Bald; 35.9938° N, 82.4573° W; 1596 m a.s.l.; 5 Aug. 2020; M. Caterino, A. Haberski and P. Wooden leg.; CUAC000171310, CUAC000171311.
Remarks
This is the most widely distributed Ligidium species in the southern Appalachian Mountains (Fig. 16), presenting also a broad altitudinal range, from 344 to 1674 m a.s.l. Although the species’ distribution spans important biogeographical barriers, such as the Asheville Depression, it includes several deep mitochondrial lineages that seem to be geographically restricted to particular areas delimited by that barrier and one formed by the Little Tennessee River (Figs 1, 18). This pattern is not common among other litter arthropods in this area (Caterino & Recuero 2023; Recuero & Caterino 2024b, 2024c). This suggests an old presence and diversification within these mountains. See Remarks under Ligidium pacolet sp. nov. and L. whiteoak sp. nov. and Fig. 17 for diagnostic information.
description: Published as part of Recuero, Ernesto & Caterino, Michael S., 2025, Is there anybody (new) out there? Seven new species of Ligidium (Isopoda, Oniscidea, Ligiidae) from the Southern Appalachians, eastern North America, pp. 133-170 in European Journal of Taxonomy 976 on pages 158-162, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.976.2783, http://zenodo.org/record/14844794