The Comal Springs Riffle Beetle

The endangered Comal Springs Riffle Beetle is a tiny insect that lives in only one place in the world: Comal Springs. Comal Springs is a group of several springs that are home to a number of endangered species.
The Comal Springs Riffle Beetle, like most insects, has many life stages: egg, larvae, multiple instars, and adult. The eggs are laid on the underside of submerged rocks and are nearly impossible to see because of their minute size. The larvae are an opaque orange color and they spend this portion of their lives underwater. The adult beetles are about 8/10 of an inch long with females slightly larger than males. The insect in this stage is a reddish-brown color with vestigial wings.
Another interesting feature of the Comal Springs Riffle Beetle is its underbelly, which has tiny hairs that trap air and allow the beetle to breathe underwater. However, this adaptation doesn’t work if the water is polluted. This, combined with human development of Comal Springs, is causing the beetles to go extinct.
The extinction of any species is troubling to us all. However, there are some fairly easy steps that could give the Comal Springs Riffle Beetle a better chance at survival. Careful planning in developing the Comal Springs area, recycling and waste reduction by locals, and careful monitoring of pollution and runoff could give the Comal Springs Riffle Beetle a fighting chance. All Texans deserve a chance to carry on- even tiny ones!

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1) Gregg Eckhardt, 11-20-09, Endangered Species of the Edwards Aquifer http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/species.html#heterelmis%20comalensis
2) 11-20-09, Heterelmis Comalensis, http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/H/Heterelmis_comalensis/
3) Kieran Suckling, 11-20-09, Comal Springs Riffle Beetle http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/invertebrates/Comal_Springs_riffle_beetle/index.html