Other Common Names
Three-lined Tiger Beetle (subspecies C. trifasciata ascendens)
Mudflat Tiger Beetle (subspecies C. trifasciata sigmoidea)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
the western subspecies C. t. sigmoidea was formerly considered a separate species (C. sigmoidea)
Numbers
two North American subspecies: C. trifasciata ascendens in eastern US, and C. trifasciata sigmoidea in western US
Identification
variably dark grayish-brown to light brown, sometimes with greenish tint; middle band curved in conspicuous S shape in well-marked specimens; lines tend to be thin and delicate in subspecies ascendens, and thicker/bolder in subspecies sigmoidea
as in many tiger beetle species, the lines may be broken or reduced to spots in some individuals
Range
subspecies C. t. ascendens: east coast of US from Long Island, New York to Florida and gulf coast of Texas into Mexico, plus scattered inland locations as far as Kansas
subspecies C. t. sigmoidea: west coast of California, Baja peninsula, and Mexico, inland to Arizona
several other subspecies occur through Central and South America to Chile
Habitat
mudflats along coast, and edges of marshes and rivers inland
Season
adults from April to October but most numerous in summer
See Also
well-marked individuals of the
Twelve-spotted Tiger Beetle (
Cicindela duodecimguttata) are similar but lack a conspicuous S-shaped middle band, and do not occur in Florida or along southern coasts in general
Internet References
live adult images and dates of several individuals of subspecies
ascendens, showing differences in extent of markings (Giff Beaton, Georgia)
live adult image of subspecies
ascendens from Texas (Louisiana State U.)
pinned adult images of subspecies
ascendens by John Riggins, plus description, habitat, Florida county distribution map (Tiger Beetles of United States, USGS)
pinned adult images of subspecies
sigmoidea (Harvard U.)
common name reference [S-banded Tiger Beetle] and subspecies (ITIS, US Dept. of Agriculture)
common name reference [Three-lined Tiger Beetle] for subspecies
ascendens, and semiochemical benzaldehyde as a defense substance (pherobase.com)
common name reference [Mudflat Tiger Beetle] for subspecies
sigmoidea (wikipedia.org)
North American distribution map hatched shading along southern coasts, and black dots inland (Imperial College, UK)
presence in Kansas article abstract (Ralph Charlton and Brian Kopper, Kansas State U., The Coleopterists Bulletin)
presence in South America; list collection records of subspecies from Chile (pandora.be)
