Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Drepanothrix dentata (a cladoceran, no common name) - Uncertain Risk

Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.

Drepanothrix dentata, is a Cladoceran crustacean that is native to northern Holarctic areas of the world. D. dentata is a microscopic invertebrate sometimes referred to as a water flea. D. dentata can be found within the benthic and littoral zone of freshwater habitats. This species has been reported to be tolerant to wide conductivity and pH ranges. No regulations associated with this species were found. Records of introductions in Europe, Africa, and Asia were found. However, there was no information regarding the impact of these introduced populations. Therefore, the History of Invasiveness for Drepanothrix dentata is classified as Data Deficient. The climate matching analysis for the contiguous United States indicates establishment concern for this species outside of its current range. Areas of high climate match were found in the Great Lakes extending westward into the Northern Plains. There were also areas of high match in the Northeast and the western mountains. The Certainty of Assessment for this ERSS is classified as Low due to the limited understanding of this species’ distribution which may impact the interpretation of the climate match results. There was also a lack of information regarding the species’ history of invasiveness. The Overall Risk Assessment Category for Drepanothrix dentata in the contiguous United States is Uncertain.