Texella tuberculata (harvestman), not endangered but very similar to three other endangered Texella species

From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Region:

Some of the rarest #EndangeredSpecies in the Southwest are those that we rarely see. Central Texas has sixteen species of endangered karst invertebrates that live in caves and mesocaverns (humanly impassable voids). They are all troglobites, spending their entire lives underground. Their food chain is based on nutrients that fall or wash into caves including leaf litter, animal droppings, and animal carcasses. It is important to remember that while these species spend their entire lives underground, their ecosystem is dependent on the surface habitat above.

The biggest threat to these species is habitat destruction. Caves and karst habitat can be impacted or destroyed by development activities, and Central Texas is one of the fastest growing urban areas in the country.

#ESday #EndangeredSpeciesDay (Photo: Texella tuberculata (harvestman), not endangered but very similar to three other endangered Texella species, courtesy of Dr. Jean Krejca)