Endangered Invertebrates

Invertebrates account for 97 percent of all animal species. Insects, spiders, crustaceans, squid, snails, octopi, jellyfish, sponges, flatworms, roundworms, segmented worms, starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sea mats are all major invertebrate phylums or classes. Invertebrate species, especially in locations like the Amazon Basin, are going extinct at an alarming rate. Over half of those evaluated are now listed as threatened or endangered by the IUCN, with crustaceans accounting for the highest percentage. Habitat loss seems to be the major reason invertebrate species continue to vanish. AMERICAN BURYING BEETLE (Nicrophorus americanus) The American burying beetle is so named because of its habit of burying its food, which consists of just about any dead animal. As a scavenger, it spends much of its time clearing carcasses off the forest floor. For this reason, it is a critical part of the North American ecosystem. Historically, this species could be found in woodland areas from New England to the Rocky Mountains. Today, it is found in only a handful of states due to declining prey species and loss of habitat. IUCN Status: Critically Endangered USFWS Status: Endangered Major Threats: Habitat loss and declining prey species Habitat: Maritime shrub thickets, coastal moraine grasslands and open pasture Location: Eastern Oklahoma and Block Island, Rhode Island Diet: Carrion

CONSERVANCY FAIRY SHRIMP (Branchinecta conservatio)

The conservancy fairy shrimp is a tiny, delicate crustacean with stalked eyes and 11 pairs of legs. It lives in the Central Valley and coastal areas of California, where females drop eggs into temporary pools that appear after heavy rains. When the pools dry up, the eggs may remain part of the ecosystem for months or years until more rains cause them to hatch. Much of the temporary pool ecosystem in California has been converted to agriculture. IUCN Status: Endangered USFWS Status: Endangered Major Threat: Agricultural development Habitat: Large, cool-water vernal pools Location: Central Valley and coastal areas of California Diet: Algae, bacteria, protozoa, rotifers and bits of detritus

KAUAI CAVE WOLF SPIDER (Adelocosa anops)

The Kauai cave wolf spider is a troglobite, meaning it lives its entire life in caves. It is a predatory spider, finding its prey using chemical sensors. Like many troglobites, the Kauai cave wolf spider is so well adapted to cave living that it has lost its eyes. It is only found in the lava tubes and cave formations of the island of Kauai in Hawaii, where it is threatened by environmental pollution and habitat disturbance. IUCN Status: Endangered

USFWS Status: Endangered Major Threat: Agricultural development Habitat: Large, cool-water vernal pools Location: Central Valley and coastal areas of California Diet: Algae, bacteria, protozoa, rotifers and bits of detritus LOTUS BLUE BUTTERFLY (Lycaeides argyrognomon lotis)

Description: The lotus blue butterfly is a beautiful insect species with azure wings fringed in white scales along the outer margin. It is known to occur only in the coastal bogs of Northern California. There have been no sightings of this species for more than 20 years, and they may already be extinct. Threats to the lotus blue butterfly are not well understood but are likely to include loss of bog habitat. USFWS Status: Endangered Major Threat: Loss of bog habitat Habitat: Coastal bogs Location: Northern California Diet: Nectar

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