List of threatened and endangered arthropods, including insects, arachnids, and crustaceans under the United States Endangered Species Act as of October 2013. [1]
Key to Listing Status codes: [2]
E - Endangered. An animal or plant species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
T - Threatened. An animal or plant species likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
SAE or SAT - Listed as Endangered or Threatened due to similarity of appearance. A species may be treated as endangered or threatened if it resembles in appearance a species which has been listed and enforcement personnel would have difficulty distinguishing between the listed and the unlisted species; if the effect of this difficulty is an additional threat to the listed species; and if such treatment of the unlisted species would improve protection for the listed species.
Inverted common name | Scientific name | Species group | Historic range | Where listed | Listing status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spider, Kauai cave wolf or pe'e pe'e maka 'ole | Adelocosa anops | Arachnids | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Meshweaver, Robber Baron Cave | Cicurina baronia | Arachnids | U.S.A. (TX). | Entire | E |
Meshweaver, Madla's Cave Meshweaver, Braken Bat Cave | Cicurina madla , syn. Cicurina venii | Arachnids | U.S.A. (TX). | Entire | E |
Meshweaver, Government Canyon Bat Cave | Cicurina vespera | Arachnids | U.S.A. (TX). | Entire | E |
Spider, Tooth Cave | Leptoneta myopica | Arachnids | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Spider, spruce-fir moss | Microhexura montivaga | Arachnids | U.S.A. (NC, TN) | Entire | E |
Spider, Government Canyon Bat Cave | Tayshaneta microps | Arachnids | U.S.A. (TX). | Entire | E |
Pseudoscorpion, Tooth Cave | Tartarocreagris texana | Arachnids | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Harvestman, Cokendolpher Cave | Texella cokendolpheri | Arachnids | U.S.A. (TX). | Entire | E |
Harvestman, Bee Creek Cave | Texella reddelli | Arachnids | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Harvestman, Bone Cave | Texella reyesi | Arachnids | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Isopod, Madison Cave | Antrolana lira | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (VA) | Entire | T |
Fairy shrimp, Conservancy | Branchinecta conservatio | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Fairy shrimp, longhorn | Branchinecta longiantenna | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Fairy shrimp, vernal pool | Branchinecta lynchi | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (CA, OR) | Entire | T |
Fairy shrimp, San Diego | Branchinecta sandiegonensis | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Crayfish, Benton County cave | Cambarus aculabrum | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (AR) | Entire | E |
Crayfish, Hell Creek Cave | Cambarus zophonastes | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (AR) | Entire | E |
Amphipod, Illinois cave | Gammarus acherondytes | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (IL) | Entire | E |
Amphipod, Noel's | Gammarus desperatus | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (NM) | Entire | E |
Amphipod, diminutive | Gammarus hyalelloides | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (TX). | Entire | E |
Tadpole shrimp, vernal pool | Lepidurus packardi | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Isopod, Lee County cave | Lirceus usdagalun | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (VA) | Entire | E |
Crayfish, Nashville | Faxonius shoupi | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (TN) | Entire | E |
Crayfish, Shasta | Pacifastacus fortis | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Shrimp, Squirrel Chimney Cave | Palaemonetes cummingi | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (FL) | Entire | T |
Shrimp, Alabama cave | Palaemonias alabamae | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (AL) | Entire | E |
Shrimp, Kentucky cave | Palaemonias ganteri | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (KY) | Entire | E |
Amphipod, Kauai cave | Spelaeorchestia koloana | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Fairy shrimp, Riverside | Streptocephalus woottoni | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Amphipod, Peck's cave | Stygobromus pecki | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Amphipod, Hay's Spring | Stygobromus hayi | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (DC) | Entire | E |
Shrimp, California freshwater | Syncaris pacifica | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Isopod, Socorro | Thermosphaeroma thermophilum | Crustaceans | U.S.A. (NM) | Entire | E |
Naucorid, Ash Meadows | Ambrysus amargosus | Insects | U.S.A. (NV) | Entire | T |
Butterfly, Lange's metalmark | Apodemia mormo langei | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Beetle, Coffin Cave mold | Batrisodes texanus | Insects | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Beetle, Helotes mold | Batrisodes venyivi | Insects | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Uncompahgre fritillary | Boloria acrocnema | Insects | U.S.A. (CO) | Entire | E |
Beetle, Hungerford's crawling water | Brychius hungerfordi | Insects | U.S.A. (MI, Canada) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, San Bruno elfin | Callophrys mossii bayensis | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Tiger beetle, Northeastern beach | Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis | Insects | U.S.A. (CT, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA) | Entire | T |
Tiger beetle, Salt Creek | Cicindela nevadica lincolniana | Insects | U.S.A. (NE) | Entire | E |
Tiger beetle, Ohlone | Cicindela ohlone | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Tiger beetle, Puritan | Cicindela puritana | Insects | U.S.A. (CT, MA, MD, NH, VT) | Entire | T |
Butterfly, Miami Blue | Cyclargus (=Hemiargus) thomasi bethunebakeri | Insects | U.S.A. (FL) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, nickerbean blue | Cyclargus ammon | Insects | Entire | SAT | |
Beetle, valley elderberry longhorn | Desmocerus californicus dimorphus | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | T |
June Beetle, Caseys | Dinacoma caseyi | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila aglaia | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila differens | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila hemipeza | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila heteroneura | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila montgomeryi | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila mulli | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | T |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila musaphilia | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila neoclavisetae | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila obatai | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila ochrobasis | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Fly, Hawaiian picture-wing | Drosophila sharpi | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila substenoptera | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Pomace fly, [unnamed] | Drosophila tarphytrichia | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Beetle, delta green ground | Elaphrus viridis | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | T |
Butterfly, El Segundo blue | Euphilotes battoides allyni | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Smith's blue | Euphilotes enoptes smithi | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Bay checkerspot | Euphydryas editha bayensis | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | T |
Butterfly, Quino checkerspot | Euphydryas editha quino (=E. e. wrighti) | Insects | Entire | E | |
Moth, Kern primrose sphinx | Euproserpinus euterpe | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | T |
Butterfly, Palos Verdes blue | Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, ceraunus blue | Hemiargus ceraunus antibubastus | Insects | Entire | SAT | |
Butterfly, Schaus swallowtail | Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus | Insects | U.S.A. (FL) | Entire | E |
Skipper, Pawnee montane | Hesperia leonardus montana | Insects | U.S.A. (CO) | Entire | T |
Beetle, Comal Springs riffle | Heterelmis comalensis | Insects | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Fender's blue | Icaricia icarioides fenderi | Insects | U.S.A. (OR) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, mission blue | Icaricia icarioides missionensis | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Mount Charleston blue | Icaricia shasta charlestonensis | Insects | U.S.A. (NV) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, cassius blue | Leptotes cassius theonus | Insects | Entire | SAT | |
Moth, Blackburn's sphinx | Manduca blackburni | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Damselfly, crimson Hawaiian | Megalagrion leptodemas | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Damselfly, flying earwig Hawaiian | Megalagrion nesiotes | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Damselfly, blackline Hawaiian | Megalagrion nigrohamatum nigrolineatum | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Damselfly, oceanic Hawaiian | Megalagrion oceanicum | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Damselfly, Pacific Hawaiian | Megalagrion pacificum | Insects | U.S.A. (HI) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Saint Francis' satyr | Neonympha mitchellii francisci | Insects | U.S.A. (NC) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Mitchell's satyr | Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii | Insects | U.S.A. (IN, MI, NJ, OH) | Entire | E |
Beetle, American burying | Nicrophorus americanus | Insects | U.S.A. (eastern States south to FL, west to SD and TX), eastern Canada | Entire, except where listed as an experimental population | E |
Butterfly, Luzon peacock swallowtail | Papilio chikae | Insects | Philippines | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Homerus swallowtail | Papilio homerus | Insects | Jamaica | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Corsican swallowtail | Papilio hospiton | Insects | Corsica, Sardinia | Entire | E |
Butterfly, lotis blue | Plebejus idas lotis | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Karner blue | Plebejus melissa samuelis | Insects | U.S.A. (IL, IN, MA, MI, MN, NH, NY, OH, PA, WI), Canada (Ont.) | Entire | E |
Beetle, Mount Hermon June | Polyphylla barbata | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Skipper, Carson wandering | Pseudocopaeodes eunus obscurus | Insects | U.S.A. (CA, NV) | U.S.A., (Lassen County, CA; Washoe County, NV) | E |
Skipper, Laguna Mountains | Pyrgus ruralis lagunae | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Ground beetle, [unnamed] | Rhadine exilis | Insects | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Ground beetle, [unnamed] | Rhadine infernalis | Insects | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Beetle, Tooth Cave ground | Rhadine persephone | Insects | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Fly, Delhi Sands flower-loving | Rhaphiomidas terminatus abdominalis | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Dragonfly, Hine's emerald | Somatochlora hineana | Insects | U.S.A. (IL, IN, OH, WI) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, callippe silverspot | Speyeria callippe callippe | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Behren's silverspot | Speyeria zerene behrensii | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Oregon silverspot | Speyeria zerene hippolyta | Insects | U.S.A. (CA, OR, WA) | Entire | T |
Butterfly, Myrtle's silverspot | Speyeria zerene myrtleae | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Beetle, Comal Springs dryopid | Stygoparnus comalensis | Insects | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Beetle, Kretschmarr Cave mold | Texamaurops reddelli | Insects | U.S.A. (TX) | Entire | E |
Grasshopper, Zayante band-winged | Trimerotropis infantilis | Insects | U.S.A. (CA) | Entire | E |
Butterfly, Queen Alexandra's birdwing | Troides alexandrae | Insects | Papua New Guinea | Entire | E |
Threatened species are any species which are vulnerable to extinction in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of critical depensation, a mathematical measure of biomass related to population growth rate. This quantitative metric is one method of evaluating the degree of endangerment.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is the primary law in the United States for protecting and conserving imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation", the ESA was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973. The Supreme Court of the United States described it as "the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted by any nation". The purposes of the ESA are two-fold: to prevent extinction and to recover species to the point where the law's protections are not needed. It therefore "protect[s] species and the ecosystems upon which they depend" through different mechanisms. For example, section 4 requires the agencies overseeing the Act to designate imperiled species as threatened or endangered. Section 9 prohibits unlawful ‘take,’ of such species, which means to "harass, harm, hunt..." Section 7 directs federal agencies to use their authorities to help conserve listed species. The Act also serves as the enacting legislation to carry out the provisions outlined in The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The Supreme Court found that "the plain intent of Congress in enacting" the ESA "was to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost." The Act is administered by two federal agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). FWS and NMFS have been delegated by the Act with the authority to promulgate any rules and guidelines within the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to implement its provisions.
Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habitat destruction, degradation, fragmentation, overexploitation, poaching, pollution, climate change, and the illegal wildlife trade. The IUCN estimates that 42,100 species of the ones assessed are at risk for extinction. Expanding to all existing species, a 2019 UN report on biodiversity put this estimate even higher at a million species. It is also being acknowledged that an increasing number of ecosystems on Earth containing endangered species are disappearing. To address these issues, there have been both national and international governmental efforts to preserve Earth's wildlife. Prominent conservation agreements include the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). There are also numerous nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) dedicated to conservation such as the Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, the Wild Animal Health Fund and Conservation International.
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation status: not simply the number of individuals remaining, but the overall increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success rates, and known threats. Various systems of conservation status are in use at international, multi-country, national and local levels, as well as for consumer use such as sustainable seafood advisory lists and certification. The two international systems are by the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN and The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
Pacifastacus fortis is an endangered crayfish species endemic to Shasta County, California, where it is found only in isolated spots on the Pit River and Fall River Mills. The exact subpopulations for the Shasta Crayfish were discovered in 2004 through a genetic study that determined three different genetic clusters: Crystal Lake, the Big Lake group, and Thousand Springs.
The Maryland darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is considered one of the rarest freshwater fish species in the world, due in part to its incredibly limited geographic range and difficulty of detection. The last sighting of one was in 1988. The Maryland darter is named after the only state in which it is known to occur. The species was long known only by two specimens until being "re-discovered" in 1962. From 1965 into the 1980s, the species was believed to have been confined to a single riffle in Deer Creek. Possible explanations for the decline of the species center around widespread habitat degradation and reduction in water quality resulting from increasing rates of urbanization within the watershed. While the IUCN has declared the species extinct, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has not, and keeps it on the Endangered Species List.
An endangered species recovery plan, also known as a species recovery plan, species action plan, species conservation action, or simply recovery plan, is a document describing the current status, threats and intended methods for increasing rare and endangered species population sizes. Recovery plans act as a foundation from which to build a conservation effort to preserve animals which are under threat of extinction. More than 320 species have died out and the world is continuing a rate of 1 species becoming extinct every two years. Climate change is also linked to several issues relating to extinct species and animals' quality of life.
The oldfield mouse, oldfield deermouse or beach mouse is a nocturnal species of rodent in the family Cricetidae that primarily eats seeds. It lives in holes throughout the Southeastern United States in beaches and sandy fields. Predators to these mice include birds and mammals. In 2016, these mice were in the least concern category on the IUCN Red List with certain subspecies classified as extinct, critically endangered, endangered or near threatened.
Cumberlandia monodonta is a freshwater mussel endemic to the United States. Currently, C. monodonta is listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The Zayante band-winged grasshopper is a species of insect in the family Acrididae. It is endemic to a small portion of the Santa Cruz Mountains in California.
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and invasive species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List lists the global conservation status of many species, and various other agencies assess the status of species within particular areas. Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species which, for example, forbid hunting, restrict land development, or create protected areas. Some endangered species are the target of extensive conservation efforts such as captive breeding and habitat restoration.
Manatees are large marine mammals that inhabit slow rivers, canals, saltwater bays, estuaries, and coastal areas. They are a migratory species, inhabiting the Florida waters during the winter and moving as far north as Virginia and into the Chesapeake Bay, sometimes seen as far north as Baltimore, Maryland and as far west as Texas in the warmer summer months. Manatees are calm herbivores that spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and traveling. They have a lifespan of about 60 years with no known natural enemies. Some of their deaths are the result of human activity. In the past, manatees were exploited for their meat, fat, and hides.
A distinct population segment (DPS) is the smallest division of a taxonomic species permitted to be protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Species, as defined in the Act for listing purposes, is a taxonomic species or subspecies of plant or animal, or in the case of vertebrate species, a distinct population segment.
The Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 was an expansion of the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 which authorized the United States Secretary of the Interior to develop a comprehensive list of species or subspecies of animals threatened with worldwide extinction. It also prohibited the importation from any foreign country any animal-whole or in part, any product, or any egg belonging to a species on that list. Limited exceptions for scientific, educational, zoological, or propagational purposes and for certain cases of commercial "economic hardship" were allowed under strict permitting procedures.
The northern Rocky Mountain wolf, also known as the northern Rocky Mountain timber wolf, is a subspecies of gray wolf native to the northern Rocky Mountains. It is a light-colored, medium to large-sized subspecies with a narrow, flattened frontal bone. The subspecies was initially listed as Endangered on March 9, 1978, but had the classification removed in the year 2000 due to the effects of the Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan. On August 6, 2010, the northern Rocky Mountain wolf was ordered to be returned under Endangered Species Act protections by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in a decision overturning a previous ruling by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They were later removed on August 31, 2012 from the list because of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming meeting the population quotas for the species to be considered stable. This wolf is recognized as a subspecies of Canis lupus in the taxonomic authority Mammal Species of the World (2005).
Sierra Club v. Babbitt, 15 F. Supp. 2d 1274, is a United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama case in which the Sierra Club and several other environmental organizations and private citizens challenged the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Plaintiffs filed action seeking declaratory injunctive relief regarding two incidental take permits (ITPs) issued by the FWS for the construction of two isolated high-density housing complexes in habitat of the endangered Alabama beach mouse. The District Court ruled that the FWS must reconsider its decision to allow high-density development on the Alabama coastline that might harm the endangered Alabama beach mouse. The District Court found that the FWS violated both the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by permitting construction on the dwindling beach mouse habitat.
Speyeria zerene hippolyta, the Oregon silverspot, is a threatened butterfly that is found in the U.S. states of California and Oregon. It is a subspecies of Speyeria zerene.
Batrisodes venyivi, also known as Helotes mold beetle, is an eyeless beetle in the family Staphylinidae. They are found exclusively in the dark zones of caves in the Southwest region of Texas. More specifically, they have been found in eight caves throughout Bexar County, Texas. Similar species include the eight other Bexar County invertebrates, such as Rhadine exilis or Rhadine infernalis. All nine of these species are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Despite the efforts of a small number of researchers, the logistical challenges of accessing this habitat greatly limit the amount and type of information. Very little is known of the species’ behavior, population trends, or general ecology.