Tribe Cicindelini - Flashy Tiger Beetles

Classification · Numbers · Identification · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Works Cited

Cicindela purpurea audubonii - Cicindela purpurea - male

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)

Numbers

~2000 spp. worldwide, of which a half formerly assigned to Cicindela arranged into 85 subgenera; ca. 100 sp. in our area(1)

Identification

See (2) and Willis (1968)

Sexiing: males have dense hairy pads on protarsomeres 1−3 ("tarsal pads").

Color can be a tricky character:

Life Cycle

beetles are often seen in pairs, often for mate guarding

Remarks

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed Cicindela ohlone and Ellipsoptera nevadica lincolniana as endangered, and Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis & E. puritana as threatened

See Also

Tetracha

Elaphrus spp. (<10 mm) resemble miniature tiger beetles with large embossed circular spots on elytra

Print References

Willis H.L. (1968) Artificial key to the species of Cicindela of North America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). J. Kans. Ent. Soc. 41: 303-317 (Full text)

Works Cited

1.	American Beetles, Volume I: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia Arnett, R.H., Jr., and M. C. Thomas. (eds.). 2000. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.

2.	A field guide to the tiger beetles of the United States and Canada: identification, natural history, and distribution... 2nd Ed. Pearson D.L., Knisley C.B., Duran D.P., Kazilek C.J. 2015. Oxford University Press. 328 pp.

Contributed by Cotinis on 13 January, 2006 - 8:54am
Additional contributions by TCMacRae, Aaron Schusteff, Peter Messer, ceiseman, v belov
Last updated 23 September, 2023 - 11:48am

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