Texas Invertebrate Species of Concern

Crustacea / Ephemeroptera / Odonata / Plecoptera / Orthoptera / Coleoptera / Lepidoptera

Texas Endangered Invertebrate Species

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Although not afforded legal protection, the following species are
mostly limited in distribution and warrant further monitoring

Source of TPW's Legal Authority to Manage, Investigate and Regulate Invertebrates:
Parks and Wildlife Code - Nongame Species

Many other species are equally rare but lack the on-line maps,
photos and/or other information that these species are linked to.

The Texas Wildlife Action Plan - Section IV - TPW's Priority Species List by Ecoregion

More information on most species can be found here:
- NatureServe Explorer -

Crustacea - Crayfishes, etc.

Cambaridae - Northern Hemisphere Crayfishes

Cambarellus (Pandicambarus) ninae Hobbs, 1950 - Aransas, Calhoun, Refugio, and Victoria Co.
Fallicambarus (Fallicambarus) devastator Hobbs and Whiteman, 1987 - Texas Prairie Crayfish - Angelina Co.
Fallicambarus (Fallicambarus) macneesei (Black, 1967) - Brazoria Co..
Orconectes (Hespericambarus) maletae Walls, 1972 - Upshur Co.
Procambarus (Capillicambarus) brazoriensis Albaugh, 1975 - Brazoria Co.
Procambarus (Girardiella) kensleyi Hobbs, 1990 - Angelina, Jasper, Newton, Panola, San Augustine, Trinity and Tyler Co.
Procambarus (Ortmannicus) nechesae Hobbs, 1990 - Angelina and Jasper Co.
Procambarus (Girardiella) nigrocinctus Hobbs, 1990 - Angelina and Jasper Co.
Procambarus (Ortmannicus) nueces Hobbs and Hobbs, 1995 - Atascosa Co.
Procambarus (Girardiella) steigmani Hobbs, 1991 - Collin Co.
Procambarus (Ortmannicus) texanus Hobbs, 1971 - Bastrop Co.

Ephemeroptera - Mayflies

Baetidae

Baetodes alleni - Kendall Co.
Plauditus futilis - Bandera Co.
Procloeon distinctum - Hays & Williamson Co.
Procloeon texanum - Brazos Co.
Pseudocentroptiloides morihari - Austin, Comal & Williamson Co.

Caenidae

Caenis arwini - Val Verde Co.

Leptohyphidae

Tricorythodes curvatus - Montgomery Co.

Polymitarcyidae

Campsurus decoloratus - Guadalupe & Hidalgo Co.
Tortopus circumfluus - Victoria Co.

Odonata - Damselflies and Dragonflies

Aeshnidae - Darners

Blue-Spotted Comet (Anax concolor) - Hidalgo & Cameron Co., Texas
Bar-sided Darner (Gynacantha mexicana) - Hidalgo & Cameron Co., Texas
Caribbean Darner (Tricanthagyna caribbea) - Hidalgo & Cameron Co., Texas
Pale-green Darner (Triacanthagyna septima) - Hidalgo & Cameron Co., TX, also s. FL
Remartinia secreta - Hidalgo Co., Texas

Corduliidae - Emeralds

Texas Emerald (Somatochlora margarita) - East Texas, West LA

Gomphidae - Clubtails

Tamaulipan Clubtail (Gomphurus gonzalezi) - Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron Co., TX
Ringed Forceptail (Phyllocycla breviphylla) - Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron Co., TX

Libellulidae - Skimmers

Red-mantled Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fervida) - Hidalgo Co., TX
Claret Pondhawk (Erythemis mithroides) - Hidalgo & Cameron Co., TX
Red-mantled Skimmer (Libellula gaigei) - Hidalgo Co., TX
Caribbean Dasher (Micrathyria dissocians) - Hidalgo & Cameron Co., TX
Mexican Scarlet-tail (Planiplax sanguiniventris) - Hidalgo Co., TX
Arch-tipped Glider (Tauriphila argo) - Hidalgo Co., TX

Coenagrionidae - Narrow-winged Damselflies

Cream-tipped Damsel (Leptobasis melinogaster) - RGV, plus Kleberg, Dimmit, and Brewster Counties
Red-tipped Swampdamsel (Leptobasis vacillans) - Hidalgo Co.
Caribbean Yellowface (Neoerythromma cultellatum) - Hidalgo & Cameron Co., TX, plus s. FL
Marsh Firetail (Telebasis digiticollis) - Hidalgo & Cameron Co.

Plecoptera - Stoneflies

Leuctridae

Plateau Needlefly (Zealeuctra arnoldi) - Primarily Central Texas

Perlodidae

Arrowhead Stripetail (Isoperla sagittata) - Newton Co.

Taeniopterygidae

Texas Willowfly (Taeniopteryx starki) - Coryell & Hamilton Co.

Orthoptera - Grasshoppers

Family Tettigoniidae (Katydids)

Meadow katydids - Subfamily Conocephalinae

Brownsville Meadow Katydid (Conocephalus resacensis) - Cameron Co.

False katydids - Subfamily Phaneropterinae

Uhler's virtuoso katydid (Amblycorypha uhleri) - Central Texas
Walking thread-legged katydid (Arethaea ambulator) - Central and North-Central Texas
Rio Grande thread-legged katydid (Arethaea phantasma) - Along Rio Grande from Brewster to Cameron Counties.
Spoon-tail short-winged katydid (Dichopetala catinata) - Central Texas
Gladiator Short-winged Katydid (Obolopteryx gladiator) - South Texas
Thumb-bearing short-winged katydid (Dichopetala pollicifera) - Cameron Co.
Seever's short-winged katydid (Dichopetala seeversi) - One Record in Central Texas
Texas angle-wing (Microcentrum minus) - South Texas

True katydids - Subfamily Pseudophyllinae

Chisos katydid (Paracyrtophyllus excelsus) - Brewster Co.

Shield-backed katydids - Subfamily Tettigoniinae

Daedalus Shieldback (Pediodectes daedalus) - Two records, sw TX
Mitchell's Shieldback (Pediodectes mitchelli) - One record, sw TX
Pratt's Shieldback (Pediodectes pratti) - One record, s. TX

Family Gryllidae (Crickets)

Anomalous crickets - Subfamily Pentacentrinae

Belfrage’s cricket (Trigonidomimus belfragei) - North-Central Texas

Coleoptera - Beetles

Carabidae - Ground Beetles

Tiger Beetles - Subfamily Cicindelinae

Cazier's Tiger Beetle - Cicindela cazieri - Starr Co.
Lime-headed Tiger Beetle - Cicindela chlorocephala smythi - Cotype - 80 specimens collected on SPI in 1912, not seen since...
Black Sky Tiger Beetle - Cicindela nigrocoerulea subtropica - Cameron & Hidalgo Counties
Large Grassland Tiger Beetle - Cicindela obsoleta neojuvenilis - Maverick Co. south to Hidalgo Co.

Lepidoptera - Moths and Butterflies

Sphinx - Silk - Skipper - Hairstreak - Metalmark - Notodontid

Sphingidae - Sphinx Moths

Blanchards' Amplypterus Moth (Adhemarius blanchardorum) - Brewster Co.
Wiest's primrose sphinx (Euproserpinus wiesti) - Dallam Co.
Hartweg's sphinx (Dolbogene hartwegii) - Brewster Co.
Proud Sphinx (Proserpinus gaurae) - e. TX
Vega Sphinx (Proserpinus vega) - Jeff Davis Co
Sage Sphinx (Sphinx eremitoides) - Hunt, Kerr, Kimble, Terrell, & Uvalde Co.

Saturniidae - Silk Moths

Tamaulipan Agapema (Agapema galbina) - Cameron & Hidalgo Co.
Zephyr-eyed Silkmoth (Automeris zephyria) - Jeff Davis & Culberson Co.
Chinati Sheepmoth (Hemileuca chinatiensis) - Trans-Pecos
Texas Buckmoth (Hemileuca peigleri) - Central Texas
Slosser's Buckmoth (Hemileuca slosseri) - Panhandle
Blanchard's Silkmoth (Sphingicampa blanchardi) - Cameron & Hidalgo Co.
Raspa Silkmoth (Sphingicampa raspa) - w. TX

Hesperiidae - Skippers

Spread-wing Skippers - Subfamily Pyrginae

Scarce Streaky-Skipper (Celotes limpia) - Trans-Pecos

Grass Skippers - Subfamily Hesperiinae

Arogos Skipper (Atrytone arogos) - Central & North-Central Texas
Bay Skipper (Euphyes bayensis) - Jefferson Co.

Skipperlings - Subfamily Heteropterinae

Chisos Skipperling (Piruna haferniki) - Brewster Co.

Giant-Skippers - Subfamily Megathyminae

Manfreda Giant-Skipper (Stallingsia maculosus) - Host Plant

Lycaenidae - Gossamer-wing Butterflies

Poling's Hairstreak (Fixsenia polingi) - Brewster, Culbertson, El Paso, Jeff Davis, & Presidio Co.

Riodinidae - Metalmarks

Chisos Metalmark (Apodemia chisosensis) - Brewster & Terrell Co.