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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Adephaga » Ground Beetles (Carabidae) » Tiger Beetles (Cicindelinae) » Flashy Tiger Beetles (Cicindelini) » Dromo Tiger Beetles (Dromochorus) » Loamy-ground Tiger Beetle (Dromochorus belfragei)

Species Dromochorus belfragei - Loamy-ground Tiger Beetle

Dromochorus belfragei Salle - Dromochorus belfragei - male

Cicindela (Dromochorus) belfragei Salle - Dromochorus belfragei

Loamy-ground tiger beetle - Dromochorus belfragei

Beetle Found crawling in grass during the hottest part of the day - Dromochorus belfragei

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Adephaga

Family Carabidae (Ground Beetles)

Subfamily Cicindelinae (Tiger Beetles)

Tribe Cicindelini (Flashy Tiger Beetles)

Genus Dromochorus (Dromo Tiger Beetles)

Species belfragei (Loamy-ground Tiger Beetle)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Syn: Cicindela (Dromochorus) belfragei Salle 1877

Does not include: Cicindela (Dromochorus) pruinina (Casey) (Spomer et al. 2008)

Explanation of Names

Dromochorus belfragei Sallé, 1877

patronym for TX entomologist Gustave W. Belfrage (1834-1882)

Numbers

4 spp. of Dromochorus (Spomer et al. 2008)

Size

12-14mm long (1)

Identification

The dorsal coloration of this species is brown to black with no elytral maculations.

Male labrum is black with the central diamond-shaped portion ivory colored. The female labrum is metallic black. (1)

Range

e. KS to Corpus Christi, TX - Map (2)

The belfragei forms/sp. are more restricted to central and coastal Texas and overlap considerably with the more widely occurring pruinia forms/sp. (1)

Season

Adults active from May to August. (1)

Life Cycle

This flightless sp. is active throughout the day, but primarily in the afternoon. Overwinter as larvae. (1)

Remarks

Apparently affected by the invasive red imported fire ant, the Loamy-ground Tiger Beetle has virtually disappeared from infected area such as Brazos County, Texas where, before the arrival of these ants, this tiger beetle was common in the 1980's. (1)

Print References

Spomer, S.M., P.D. Nabity & M.L. Brust. 2008. Larval Description of Cicindela (Dromochorus) pruinina (Casey) (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) with Notes on Habitat and Adult Behavior. The Coleopterists Bulletin 62(1): 37-41. Full PDF

Works Cited

1.	A Field Guide To The Tiger Beetles Of The United States And Canada David Pearson, C. Barry Knisley, Charles J. Kazilek, David L. Pearson, Barry C. Knisley. 2005. Oxford University Press.

2.	Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

Contributed by Chris Wirth on 9 November, 2005 - 8:42pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, ceiseman
Last updated 27 December, 2019 - 10:56am

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