Chaetocnema rileyi

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Chaetocnema rileyi
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Chrysomelidae
Genus: Chaetocnema
Species:
C. rileyi
Binomial name
Chaetocnema rileyi
R. White, 1996

Chaetocnema rileyi, the Boca Chica flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. [1] [2] [3] [4] It is known to be found only in a dune system at Boca Chica Beach, in Boca Chica, Texas, United States. [2] [5] The beetles inhabit the stems of sedges in the beachside dunes, while the larvae are subterranean and feed on the underground portions of their host plants. [6]

Conservation

The Boca Chica flea beetle is designated as a species of great conservation need (SGCN) by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). [7] Spacecraft company SpaceX operates its Starbase spaceport and production facility for Starship rockets nearby, and environmental groups have warned that noise pollution and debris from launches threaten wildlife, including this rare flea beetle. [8] In 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finalized their environmental assessment for the Starship program, and found that Boca Chica flea beetles close to the launchpad could be killed by exposure to high temperatures from engine plumes. In the event of a possible launch anomaly, debris or debris clean-up could impact dune vegetation where the beetle inhabits. [6] SpaceX would later coordinate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to reduce the environmental impact made from activities at Starbase, and would also conduct an environmental review in partnership with them before Starship's second integrated flight test. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX Starbase</span> SpaceX private launch site

Starbase is an industrial complex for Starship rockets, located at Brownsville, Texas, United States. It has been under construction since the late 2010s by SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer. Starbase is composed of a spaceport near the Gulf of Mexico, a production facility at the Boca Chica village, and a small structure test site along the Texas State Highway 4.

<i>Luperaltica nigripalpis</i> Species of beetle

Luperaltica nigripalpis is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.

Longitarsus melanurus is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.

Triarius lividus is a species of skeletonizing leaf beetle or flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

<i>Chaetocnema concinna</i> Species of beetle

Chaetocnema concinna, known generally as the brassy flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. Other common names include hop flea beetle, beet flea beetle, and brassy-toothed flea beetle. It is found in Europe and Northern Asia and North America.

<i>Kuschelina gibbitarsa</i> Species of beetle

Kuschelina gibbitarsa is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.

<i>Epitrix fasciata</i> Species of beetle

Epitrix fasciata, the banded epitrix, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in the Caribbean, Central America, North America, Oceania, and South America.

Disonycha balsbaughi is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.

Systena marginalis, the margined systena, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.

<i>Phyllotreta undulata</i> Species of beetle

Phyllotreta undulata, known generally as the small striped flea beetle or turnip flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in Australia, Europe and Northern Asia, North America, and Oceania.

Dysphenges rileyi is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

Chaetocnema repens, the dichondra flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.

Chaetocnema confinis, the sweetpotato flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, North America, Oceania, South America, and Southern Asia.

Chaetocnema ectypa, the desert corn flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.

Chaetocnema denticulata, the toothed flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.

Chaetocnema quadricollis is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.

<i>Amphelasma</i> Genus of beetles

Amphelasma is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles and flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. There are 11 described species in Amphelasma, distributed from Venezuela to Mexico, with one species ranging in southern Arizona.

Chaetocnema subviridis is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.

<i>Monocesta</i> Genus of beetles

Monocesta is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles and flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. There are at least three described species in Monocesta.

Chaetocnema brunnescens, the buttonwood flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea and North America.

References

  1. "Chaetocnema rileyi Species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  2. 1 2 "Chaetocnema rileyi Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  3. "Chaetocnema rileyi Overview". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  4. "Chaetocnema rileyi species details". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  5. "North American Cryptocephalus species (Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae)". Texas Entomology. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  6. 1 2 "Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment for the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas" (PDF). FAA. June 2022. pp. 130, 143–144. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  7. "Section II" (PDF). Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD). 2005-11-10. pp. 57, 81. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  8. Moreno, Gaby (2021-04-06). "Public responds to SpaceX debris from SN11, still scattered across Boca Chica". KXAN Austin. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  9. Robinson-Smith, Will (2023-10-31). "FAA concludes SpaceX Starship safety review, continues environmental review". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2024-04-28.

Further reading