46 
John R. Holsinger and David C. Culver 
Virginia.— Alleghany Co.: Rumbolds Cave. Augusta Co.: Madisons 
Saltpetre Cave. Bland Co.: Banes Spring, Hamilton, and Repass 
Saltpetre caves. Craig Co.: Loneys Cave. Giles Co.: New River 
and Straleys No. 1 caves, Highland Co.: Aqua Cave. Pulaski Co.: 
Sam Bells Cave. Roanoke Co.: Goodwins Cave. Rockingham 
Co.: Endless Caverns. Scott Co.: Lane and Moccasin Valley 
caves. Tazewell Co.: Crocketts, Fallen Rock, Gillespie Water, 
and Gully caves. Wise Co.: Kelly Cave. 
Undetermined rhagidiid mites: 
Tennessee. — Claiborne Co.: Tazewell Saltpetre Cave. 
Virginia. — Augusta Co.: Staunton Quarry Cave. Lee Co.: Waltons 
Cave. Montgomery Co.: Vickers Road Cave. Scott Co.: Greears 
Sweet Potato and Taylor No. 1 caves. Smyth Co.: Tilson Saltpetre 
Cave. 
Subclass Opiliones 
Except for Leiobunum (Phalangiidae), a sporadically common 
threshold trogloxene, opilionids (also called phalangids or harvestmen) 
are not common in the caves of Virginia and east Tennessee. Only a few 
species are recorded, and none is a troglobite. Probably the most 
interesting species with respect to cave association is Erebomaster 
acanthina (Erebomastridae), a troglophile found in several caves in the 
Shenandoah Valley (Fig. 19B). This species is also recorded from caves 
in Maryland (under Phalangodes acanthina by Franz and Slifer 1971) 
and West Virginia (under Phalangodes flavescens weyerensis by Holsinger 
et al. 1976), and from epigean localities in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge 
* 
Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia (see Goodnight and Goodnight 
1942, Briggs 1969). Packard (1888) described Phalangodes flavescens 
var. weyerensis from Grand Caverns, and Hadzi (1935) later described 
Cladonychium corii from Endless Caverns. Both the “variety” weyerensis 
and C. corii are now considered synonyms of Erebomaster acanthina , 
which was redescribed in detail by Briggs (1969, in litt.). 
Erebomaster acanthina may be a troglobite in statu nascendi , 
inasmuch as several populations appear to be cave limited and consist 
of individuals with reduced eyes and pigment. Both adults and juveniles 
of this species have been observed many times on damp, rotting wood in 
Endless Caverns and Madisons Saltpetre Cave. 
The range of Phalangodes laciniosa (Phalangodidae), also a 
troglophile, extends to the southern end of the study area, where it has 
been found once in Norris Dam Cave in Campbell County. To the 
south and southwest this species is recorded from caves in northern 
Alabama, northern Florida, northwestern Georgia, and other parts of 
Tennessee, and occasionally from epigean localities in the same general 
region (Goodnight and Goodnight 1960, Barr 1961, Peck 1970, Holsinger 
and Peck 1971). 
