Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
The species in the tribe Cicindelini were formerly placed in a single genus (Cicindela) until Erwin and Pearson (2008) elevated most of its included subgenera to genus rank. These include Brasiella, Cylindera, Dromochorus, Ellipsoptera, Eunota, Habroscelimorpha, and Opilidia.
Numbers
Nearctica
(1) lists 94 species for North America (all under the genus
Cicindela).
Food
All members of this tribe are predaceous on other insects as both adults and larvae.
Life Cycle
Species in this tribe are often observed in pairs--often this is
mate guarding, where the male stays in contact with the female after actual mating in order to prevent further matings.
Remarks
Two North American species of this tribe are listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered (
Cicindela ohlone and
Ellipsoptera nevadica lincolniana), and two are listed as threatened (
Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis and
Ellipsoptera puritana).
See Also
Marsh Ground Beetles (genus
Elaphrus) resemble miniature tiger beetles [length 10 mm or less] whose elytra are covered with uniformly-distributed large circular spots in most species.
Print References
Erwin, T. L. and D. L. Pearson. 2008. A Treatise on the Western Hemisphere Caraboidea (Coleoptera): Their classification, distributions, and ways of life. Volume II (Carabidae-Nebriiformes 2-Cicindelitae). Pensoft Series Faunistica 84. Pensoft Publishers, Sofia, 400 pp.
Contributed by
Cotinis on 13 January, 2006 - 8:54am
Additional contributions by
TCMacRae,
ceisemanLast updated 17 November, 2009 - 9:11am
