Endangered Species Guide

Endangered Invertebrates
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Endangered Invertebrates

Invertebrates account for 97 percent of all animal species. Insects, spiders, crustaceans, squid, snails, octopi, jellyfish, sponges, flatworms, roundworms, segmented worms, starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sea mats are all major invertebrate phylums or classes.

Invertebrate species, especially in locations like the Amazon Basin, are going extinct at an alarming rate. Over half of those evaluated are now listed as threatened or endangered by the IUCN, with crustaceans accounting for the highest percentage. Habitat loss seems to be the major reason invertebrate species continue to vanish.

American Burying Beetle
The American burying beetle is so named because of its habit of burying its food, which consists of just about any dead animal.

Basking Malachite Damselfly
Like their dragonfly relatives, damselflies are highly effective predators and expert aerial acrobats.

Callippe Silverspot Butterfly
With a wingspan of about 2.5 inches, the callippe silverspot butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly.

Conservancy Fairy Shrimp
The conservancy fairy shrimp is a tiny, delicate crustacean with stalked eyes and 11 pairs of legs.

Delta Green Ground Beetle
The delta green ground beetle is a bright green species that is now confined to a small region in Northern California.

Dlinza Forest Pinwheel
The Dlinza Forest pinwheel is a snail that undoubtedly gets its name from the whorl of bristles emanating from its outer shell.
Fabulous Green Sphinx Moth
The fabulous green sphinx moth is named for its bright green thorax and orange antennae.

Fanshell
The fanshell is a freshwater mollusk found in the rivers and streams of the Midwest and eastern United States.

Giant Freshwater Crayfish
Freshwater crayfish are lobster-like animals with powerful claws on their front legs.

Illinois Cave Amphipod
The Illinois cave amphipod is a tiny crustacean found in the dark zones of cave streams in Illinois.

Kauai Cave Wolf Spider
The Kauai cave wolf spider is a troglobite, meaning it lives its entire life in caves.

Lotus Blue Butterfly
The lotus blue butterfly is a beautiful insect species with azure wings fringed in white scales along the outer margin.