Threats to the species and their habitat include destruction and deterioration of habitat by construction, filling of caves and karst features, and loss of permeable cover. They are also threatened by contamination from septic effluent, sewer leaks, run-off, and pesticides, predation by and competition with non-native fire ants, and vandalism.
The Service published the proposal in the December 30, 1998, Federal Register. The public may provide comment and additional information on the proposal until April 29, 1998. After the comment period closes, the Service will evaluate all additional information and comments received, and within a year of the date of the proposal, decide whether to add the invertebrates to the federal list of endangered species or to withdraw the proposal.
Additional information that would be particularly useful to the Service in making a final listing determination includes any additional biological data; the location of any additional caves containing these species or caves where searches have been conducted and the species not found; areas planned for development or other activities that might affect any of the nine invertebrates; and existing local, state, or federal regulations that provide protection for these species and/or the caves and karst features that provide habitat for the species.
The State of Texas currently provides no listing or protection of invertebrate species. In 1992, the Service received a petition from several local groups (Alamo Group of the Sierra Club, Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Coalition, Helotes Creek Association, Texas Cave Management Association, and Texas Speleological Association) to add the nine species of karst invertebrates to the federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species.
The nine species are Rhadine exilis (beetle, no common name), Rhadine infernalis (beetle, no common name), Batrisodes venyivi (Helotes mold beetle), Texella cokendolpheri (Robber Baron Cave harvestman), Cicurina venii (cave spider, no common name), Cicurina baronia (Robber Baron cave spider), Cicurina madla (Madla=s cave spider), Cicurina vespera (vesper cave spider), and Neoleptoneta microps (Government Canyon cave spider).
The invertebrates spend their entire lives underground. Invertebrates have no internal skeletons or backbones. They prey on the eggs, larvae, or adults of other cave invertebrates. Some species are known from as few as one cave. A status survey for all nine species was conducted through a grant to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Report findings were influential in the decision to propose the listing of the nine invertebrate species.
