Comal Springs dryopid beetle

Our Mission Our Story Meet the Staff Board of Directors Contact Us Publications Support Us Jobs and Internships

Become a Biodiversity Activist Current Action Alerts Events Take-action Toolbox

Biodiversity Climate, Air, and Energy International Oceans Public Lands Urban Wildlands

Amphibians Birds Fish Invertebrates Mammals Plants Reptiles

Press Releases The Center in the News Audio and Video

Endangered Earth Archive Endangered Earth Online Archive Annual Reports Slideshows Research Papers Listing Petitions Critical Habitat Petitions Species Status Reviews

Join Us Give Take Action Events Membership FAQ Store

Though the Comal Springs dryopid beetle is aquatic, it doesn’t swim, and while it has eyes, it can’t see. This small brown beetle lives in the subterranean darkness of the spring outlets and air-filled cavities associated with just two springs in central Texas, and it relies on a steady, natural spring flow for all aspects of its life history. That means if humans keep pumping vast amounts of water from the aquifer that feeds the springs, this paradoxical underground bug could be left high and dry.

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROFILE

PROTECTION STATUS: Endangered

YEAR LISTED: 1997

CRITICAL HABITAT: Approximately 39.5 acres in Hays County, Texas designated in 2007

RECOVERY PLAN: None

RANGE: Comal Springs and Fern Bank Springs in Hays County, Texas

THREATS: Decreased spring flow due to increased use of groundwater resources; drought; increased flooding and erosion, pollution, siltation, and storm-water runoff associated with urbanization; and the presence of exotic species

POPULATION TREND: Collection records for the Comal Springs dryopid beetle are primarily from spring run 2 at Comal Springs, but the species has also been collected from runs 3 and 4 at Comal Springs as well as from Fern Bank Springs.

SAVING THE COMAL SPRINGS DRYOPID BEETLE

The Comal Springs dryopid beetle, along with its endangered fellows the Comal Springs riffle beetle and Peck’s cave amphipod, once survived a drought that stopped the flow of Comal Springs from June 13 through November 3, 1956. The fact that these invertebrates weren’t extirpated at that time says a lot for their tenacity, but all three species were left devastated and still have very small populations. Today, groundwater pumping at Edwards Aquifer is greatly reducing the water flow of the springs in which these species are found, and that could result in years — not months — of significant drying. To make the situation worse, pollution from myriad other human activities contaminates what water remains.

The Comal Springs dryopid beetle, Comal Springs riffle beetle, and Peck’s cave amphipod were all proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act in 1994. However, a congressionally imposed moratorium on final listing actions and reduced funding left the invertebrates without protection until 1997. In that year, all three were declared endangered, but no critical habitat was designated.

To protect the invertebrates’ home, the Center sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003, and finally, four years later, critical habitat was designated for all three species. But this designation, part of an arbitrary and capricious decision ordered by former Interior Department official Julie MacDonald, covered a ridiculously small area — not nearly enough to ensure the invertebrates’ recovery. In August of 2007 we filed a notice of intent to sue the Department of Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service over this unlawful designation, as well as for illegally failing to implement protections for 54 other imperiled species. More litigation, specifically advocating for these three invertebrates and other Texas species, is planned.

ACTION TIMELINE

+ CAMPAIGN LINKS

Rivers and Watersheds
The Endangered Species Act

NATURAL HISTORY

+ MEDIA

Press releases
Search our newsroom for the Comal Springs dryopid beetle

Contact: Kierán Suckling