This photograph of the Salt Creek tiger beetle was taken
by Joel Sartore outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. www.joelsartore.com.
Salt Creek tiger beetle
finally goes on the United States endangered species list
Due to the efforts of scientists, conservationists, and Xerces Society members, the Salt Creek tiger beetle finally has Endangered Species Act (ESA) status, as of October 6, 2005. Recent surveys show that the Salt Creek tiger beetle population numbers about 150. ESA listing will provide habitat protection and increase funding for conservation measures.
The beetle is only found in a few remnant saline marshes near Lincoln, Nebraska. The salt creek tiger beetle is one of the rarest insects in the world and occupies one of the most restricted ranges of any insect in the United States.
The Salt Creek tiger beetle is an active, ground-dwelling, predatory insect that captures other arthropods in a ''tiger-like'' manner by grasping prey with its mandibles (mouthparts). It has distinctive markings and is metallic brown to dark olive green above with a metallic dark green underside.
Since the late 1800s, over 90 percent of the Salt Creek tiger beetle's saline marsh habitat has been destroyed or severely degraded through commercial, residential, industrial, and agricultural development and road projects. Only 122 acres of habitat remain, of which merely 15 acres can be considered "not highly degraded."
The remaining populations of Salt Creek tiger beetles are threatened by:
- habitat loss and degradation due to development
- increased freshwater runoff and sediment from urban areas, which lowers the salt content in the water and encourages weed encroachment
- pollution
- pesticide application or runoff; and habitat loss and degradation due to grazing and cultivation
Because of its small population size and limited habitat, the beetle is also more prone to extinction from catastrophic environmental events such as floods, drought, predation, and parasites.
The Salt Creek tiger beetle is considered an "indicator" species.
Its presence signals the existence of a healthy saline marsh - the groundwater
feeding these wetlands pass through rock formations containing salts deposited
by an ancient sea that once covered Nebraska. Over the past century, more
than 230 species of birds have been reported using eastern Nebraska saline
marshes, including the least tern, piping plover, and peregrine falcon.
These saline wetlands are also home to several salt-adapted plants that
are found nowhere else in Nebraska. Included in this flora is saltwort,
which is listed as endangered under the Nebraska Nongame and Endangered
Species Conservation Act. In addition, a healthy saline marsh provides
numerous benefits for people, including water purification and flood control.
To learn more about the Salt Creek tiger beetle: