Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Ground and Water Beetles (Adephaga) » Ground Beetles (Carabidae) » Tiger Beetles (Cicindelinae) » Flashy Tiger Beetles (Cicindelini) » Common Tiger Beetles (Cicindela) » Big Sand Tiger Beetle (Cicindela formosa)

Species Cicindela formosa - Big Sand Tiger Beetle

Big Sand Tiger Beetle - Cicindela formosa

Cicindela formosa gibsoni - Cicindela formosa

Cicindela formosa generosa - Cicindela formosa

Tiger Beetle, found in Norfolk County (Southern) Ontario. Many on a gravel laneway - at noon. - Cicindela formosa

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Adephaga (Ground and Water Beetles)

Family Carabidae (Ground Beetles)

Subfamily Cicindelinae (Tiger Beetles)

Tribe Cicindelini (Flashy Tiger Beetles)

Genus Cicindela (Common Tiger Beetles)

Species formosa (Big Sand Tiger Beetle)

Size

body length 15-18 mm

Identification

Brown, red, or purple with large white marks.

Two subspecies: Cicindela formosa formosa with reddish/purple elytra; C. f. generosa with dark brown to black elytra.

Range

United States and extreme southern Canada east of the Rockies but absent from North Carolina to Florida and along the gulf coast (see distribution map)

Habitat

Dry sandy areas: blowouts, dunes, roadsides

Season

Spring and fall (May-June, August-September in North Dakota)

Food

Other insects

Print References

Choate, pp. 66-67, p. 121, plate 180 (1)

Internet References

Tiger Beetles of the United States

North Dakota State Univ.

North American distribution map (Imperial College, UK)

Works Cited

1.	Tiger Beetles: A Field Guide and Identification Manual for Florida and Eastern U.S. By Paul Merrill Choate

Contributed by Cotinis on 24 October, 2004 - 9:38am
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod
Last updated 4 February, 2008 - 8:32am

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