The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to designate approximately 9,516 acres overlaying 57 caves in Bexar County, Texas as critical habitat for nine endangered cave-dwelling invertebrates.
An informational meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Great Northwest Library, 9050 Wellwood, San Antonio, Texas. The deadline for comments on the proposal is November 25, 2002.
The nine invertebrates, known only to occur in Bexar County, are the Helotes mold beetle (Batrisodes venyivi), the Cokendolpher cave harvestman (Texella cokendolpheri), Robber Baron Cave meshweaver (Cicurina baronia), Madla Cave meshweaver (Cicurina madla), Government Canyon Bat Cave meshweaver (Cicurina vespera), Government Canyon Bat Cave spider (Neoleptoneta microps), Braken Bat Cave meshweaver (Cicurina venii), and two beetles (Rhadine exilis and Rhadine infernalis) that do not have common names. The species were added to the Federal list of threatened and endangered species in December 2000.
"These species are especially vulnerable to groundwater pollution and are an excellent indicator of the health of the Edwards aquifer, the source of drinking water for more than one million people," said Dale Hall, Director of the Service
