The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that as a result of a comprehensive review, it will not add a cave spider, the karst meshweaver (Cicurina cueva), to the list of Federally endangered species.
The Service contracted with a geneticist to perform the study that showed the spider to be genetically indistinguishable from two other Circurina spiders that inhabit 22 caves in southern Travis County and two caves in northern Hays County. As a result of the study the Service has concluded that the karst meshweaver is not a separate species and thus is not eligible for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The study was peer reviewed by fourteen scientists with expertise in genetics, morphology and/or conservation biology. Most peer reviewers agreed the study was well done and its methods were scientifically sound.
"Our decision that C. cueva doesnt qualify for ESA protection was based on the best available scientific information," said Bob Pine, Field Supervisor of the Ecological Services office inAustin. "In the absence of a precise, definitive taxonomic classification, well treat the three spiders as one species."
The Service published its decision in the Federal Register on 2December 19, 2005. A copy of the notice is available on the internet at http://www.fws.gov/ifw2es/AustinTexas/ or by calling 512-490-0057.
The Cicurina cueva spends its entire life underground. A member of the Dictynidae family, the spider measures less than one-half inch long. As a response to their underground environment, these spiders exhibit adaptations such as extended legs, no eyes, and no pigment. Subterranean dwelling spiders such as these require stable temperatures and constant, high humidity and rely on a healthy community of native plants and animals on the surfaces above the caves for their continued survival.
The petition to list Cicurina cueva with critical habitat was submitted by Save Our Springs Alliance (SOSA), Save Barton Creek Association, and Austin Regional Group of the Sierra Club in July 2003. The fate of the small spider has been closely watched because some hoped that a positive finding would affect the proposed construction and operation of State Highway 45 South. In reality, the Endangered Species Act has rarely stopped projects -- most have been able to move forward while simultaneously providing protection for threatened and endangered species.
