John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3/John Wagner Ranch Cave #3 is one of the estimated 500 caves in San Antonio, Texas. This news article will explain what this cave is.
John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3 is located within approximately a 4 mile radius of the UTSA Circle campus. Land to the east consists of undeveloped scrubby woodland. John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3 is frequently visited by locals which is why trash can be seen along with frequent signs of vandalism. Residents of San Antonio are aware of the existence of this cave. 
Rhadine exilis is a small beetle which inhabits John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3. This species has been collected at Robber Baron Cave and tentatively identified from a juvenile specimen collected at John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3. A relatively high diversity of troglobitic species coupled with presence of low-density residential areas immediately to the east, west, and south and a large tract of undeveloped land to the north made acquisition and management of the preserve area highly desirable. (Ref: https://books.google.com/books?id=L4Q-wsuDzQwC&pg=PA278&lpg=PA278)
This cave is the type locality for Rhadine exilis. While the habitat at John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3 seems richer with nine known troglobites (the three La Cantera caves respectively have six, eight, and five troglobites), its high number is the result of numerous collections over the past 39 years and does not reflect the current low quality of the habitat. The cave should be protected, but it has too many problems of its own to serve as mitigation unless a larger and effective preserve can be established there and the habitat is restored. John Wagner Ranch Cave #3 lies within the UTSA karst region and contains the same possibility for C. madla as the La Cantera caves. Dr. James Cokendolpher, confirmed that the species identified in the John Wagner Ranch Cave #3 was more likely to be C. madla than any of the other three listed species of Cicurina. (Ref: https://casetext.com/case/center-for-biol-diversity-v-us-fish-wildlife-serv-4)
This is the most slender and depressed species in the genus. It is reddish-brown with an eye rudiment only 0.08 mm in diameter. Body length ranges from 7.0-8.4 mm. The pronotum is one-third as wide as long, widest behind middle, and possesses two pairs of marginal setae. Rhadine exilis is mostly closely related to R. speca speca, which occurs in Comal and Kendall counties. The two species may be most easily separated by the size of the eye rudiment (0.10 to 0.15 mm in R. speca speca versus 0.08 mm in R. exilis) and the width/length ratio of the pronotum (about 0.40 to 0.45 as wide as long in R. speca speca versus about 0.33 in R. exilis). The pronotum is also widest behind the middle in R. exilis whereas it is widest at or near the middle in R. speca speca. (Ref: https://www.edwardsaquifer.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1999_Veni-etal_KarstSpeciesConservation.pdf)
Specimens of Texella inhabit John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3. Additional specimens of Texella were also found in John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3 due to a heavy fire ant infestation. (Ref: https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/grants/wildlife/section-6/docs/invertebrates/e1_j54_final_report.pdf)
John Wagner Ranch Cave #3 is the only cave on that ranch that has definitely yielded an immature eyeless Cicurina. Yes, based on known distributions that species is more likely to be C. madla than any of the other three listed Cicurina. Of course there is the possibility that it could be undescribed, but the proximity to Madla's Cave suggest otherwise. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/Bexar_County_Karst_Invertebrates_5-Year_Review_Sep2011.pdf)
John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3 is managed per the La Cantera Habitat Conservation Plan since 2001. Management for this cave includes biannual RIFA treatment, biannual faunal monitoring, biannual cave cricket exit counts, and monthly surface inspections. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/Bexar_County_Karst_Invertebrates_5-Year_Review_Sep2011.pdf)
John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3, and Fat Man's Nightmare Cave are located at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and are included in the La Cantera Habitat Conservation Plan (LCHCP). (Ref: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.120568/Rhadine_infernalis)
John Wagner Ranch Cave No. 3 is located somewhere at 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas, US 78249.
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