Vol. 92, No. 4, September & October 1981 125 ORTHOPTEROIDS OF SAND MOUNTAIN AND BLOW SAND MOUNTAINS, NEVADAl R.C. Bechtel 2 , L.M. Hanks 3 , R.W. Rust 3 ABSTRACT: Twenty-three species of orthopteroids were collected from Sand Mountain and Blow Sand Mountains, Nevada. One species, A mmobaenetes lariversi Strohecker. was the only sand obligate species obtained. Sand Mountain and Blow Sand Mountains were visited 1 9 times in a 1 3 month period for the purpose of surveying selected groups of arthropods. Here we report on the orthopteroids collected during the study. Over 700 specimens were obtained. They represent 23 species in three orders and seven families. Only one, Ammobaenetes lariversi Strohecker, is a sand obligate species. No new species were obtained. Study Areas Sand Mountain dunes and Blow Sand Mountain dunes were sampled from June 1979 through July 1980. Sand Mountain is approximately 46Km ESE of Fallen, Churchill County, Nevada (3920 r N-l 18 20'W) and is about 1 ,250m in elevation. Blow Sand Mountains are approximately 52Km SE of Fallen, Nevada (3910'N-1 18 : 35'W) and are about 1,400m in elevation. The dunes are separated by 25Km air distance. Sand Mountain is a star dune of approximately 3.2Km2 while Blow Sand Mountains are complex star and linear dunes of approximately 9.2Km2. however, both dunes result from the same eolian sand deposited during the Turupah and Fallen formations of about 4,000 years B.P. (Morrison and Frye 1965). The floras of the two dunes were similar. The dominant vegetation was Atriplex confertifolia (Terr. & Frem.), Tetradymia tetrameres (Blake), Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (Hookl), Astragalus lentiginosus Dougl.. and Psoralea lanceolata Pursh. and at Sand Mountain only Eriogonum kearnevi Tidestr. and Psorothamnus polyadenius (Torr.). The common grass was Oryzopsis hymenoides (R. & S.). I Received March 13, 1981 2 Authorship determined alphabetically. Nevada State Department of Agriculture, 550 Capitol Hill Ave., Reno. NV 89502 3 Biology Department, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 8955^ ENT. NEWS, 92 (4): 125-129
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