I understand why people don’t know, though. I’ve been interested in bugs since I was a kid and I only learned that these guys aren’t “real” ladybugs a few years ago. At the very least, it seems they do actually eat aphids, which is why they were spread globally in the first place (unlike some other intentionally introduced species that fail at their intended purpose). Why people didn’t just use local species that do the same thing, I have no idea. Species becoming invasive after introduction for human use seems to be a recurring theme throughout history, unfortunately. Cane toads are another bad example.
I am saddened by the announcement from U.S. Fish and Wildlife that confirms the extinction of Stephan’s riffle beetle (Heterelmis stephani) from Arizona, and the Tatum Cave beetle (Pseudanophthalmus parvus) from Kentucky.
This will not be front page news. These are not charismatic species and they’re not widely known. This announcement will not generate widespread attention. I predict it may not be picked up by popular media at all – I learned the news from a tweet by Derek Hennen’s (@entoderek), and he’s an entomologist deeply interested in these topics.
Those reasons ^ are partly why I am upset, because I see the lack of attention as indication that people were never given a reason to care in the first place. I did not know of either species until learning, too late, that they are gone.
But another reason I’m upset is because the dwindling numbers of each population did not happen overnight. According to the announcement, Stephan’s riffle beetle was identified as needing protection under the Endangered Species Act 32 years ago, in 1984.Tatum’s cave beetle was similarly recognized ten years later, in 1994.
We’ve done a video on the Endangered Species Act, and with that episode we highlighted some of the challenges and roadblocks in place when it comes to receiving governmental protection. The ESA has done a lot of good… but it’s nowhere near perfect. Because of our inability to act nimbly and responsively, these species, and the ecosystems in which they played any number of roles, suffer.
With announcements such as this – with the knowledge we’ve lost a little more, and are poorer in diversity – I wonder, what can I do? How can I help? What options do we give other people to help? I’ll never have a comprehensive answer, but I will keep generating small answers, sharing ideas and resources, and continue to promote lifelong learning and curiosity. Maybe along the way, we’ll catch the eye of someone interested in helping us fix some of these systems.
Emily uses her platform for so much good and it makes me proud.
We’re losing lots of species to apathy and the tragedy of the commons.
The shiny black, orange-spotted adults can approach two inches in
length. Offspring beg both parents for food, inducing regurgitation by
stroking their jaws like wolf pups. They’re federally endangered
American burying beetles, largest of the 31 species of North American
carrion beetles.
PiraticOctopus 