The continued existence of two species of insects is in doubt because climate change is melting away the glaciers and year-round snowfields they depend on.

The western glacier stonefly and the meltwater lednian stonefly found in the Rocky Mountains of the U.S. is now protected as threatened species in the country. 

The stoneflies' peril underscores the threat climate change poses to mountaintops worldwide that are "biodiversity hotspots" — home to a rich variety of plants, animals and insects that scientists are still learning about.

The stoneflies live in high-elevation, cold-water streams fed by glaciers and perennial snowfields. They are mostly found in steep, remote areas that are hard to reach and away from back country trails.

Melting glaciers, higher water temperatures and changes in the volume of snow-melt and runoff are harming their habitat. Most glaciers and snowfields in the species' main location are predicted to disappear by 2030.

(Cover image via AP)

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