Prof. Gonzalo Giribet at Harvard University has named a new genus of cave-dwelling harvestman from Mexico for Dr. William Shear of the Hampden-Sydney Biology department.  The new genus goes by the name of Shearogovea, combining Dr. Shear’s name with “-ogovea,” a combining stem used in the group of harvestmen to which the new genus belongs.

The new genus contains only one species, Shearogovea mexasca (Shear), found in a few caves in the Mexican state of Oaxaca.  The species is eyeless, pale and long-legged–typical for cave-dwelling or troglobiotic animals.  Shearogovea mexasca was originally described in 1977 by Dr. Shear, who placed it in a different genus, while admitting that it probably didn’t belong there.  Dr. Giribet was able to establish, through extensive observations, that the species was so isolated from all its possible relatives that it deserved a genus name of its own.  While new species are frequently discovered by biologists, the discovery of a new genus happens far less often.