TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect the Willcox Playa tiger beetle under the Endangered Species Act.

The rare tiger beetle lives only on the Willcox Playa, an ancient dry lake at the heart of Sulphur Springs Valley in Cochise County, Arizona. The beetles are about half an inch long, vary in color from green to brown and are known for their running speed.

“These strikingly beautiful insects emerge from their lakebed burrows during the monsoon season to feast on invertebrates and search for mates,” said entomologist Barry Knisley, co-author of the petition and professor emeritus at Randolph-Macon College. “Unfortunately, climate change and declining groundwater levels are threatening their continued existence on the playa.”

The Willcox Playa tiger beetle population is at risk of going extinct because of habitat drying caused by climate change, surface water diversion, and groundwater pumping primarily for agriculture. The Willcox Playa and surrounding Sulphur Springs Valley are part of the Willcox Groundwater Basin, a major agricultural hub where groundwater levels have declined hundreds of feet and millions of acre-feet of groundwater have been lost.

The survival of the Willcox Playa tiger beetle is also threatened by a proposed lithium project, pollution, over-collection and potentially off-road vehicle activity.

Sulphur Springs Valley has the greatest diversity of tiger beetles in the country, with at least 17 known species, including three endemics. The Willcox Playa tiger beetle is the only species that is restricted to the playa and unique in its ability to build a turret, or chimney, several centimeters tall to extend its burrow above ground.

“In addition to being highly charismatic, these speedy insects play an essential role in their ecosystem, both as predators and indicators of the habitat’s health,” said Krista Kemppinen, Ph.D., a senior scientist at the Center. “The importance of protecting the Willcox Playa tiger beetle and the broader tiger beetle fauna of Sulphur Springs Valley can’t be overstated.”