Tiger beetle

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Tiger beetle
Lophyra sp Tiger beetle edit1.jpg
Lophyra sp in Tanzania
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder:
Adephaga
Family: Carabidae
Subfamily:
Cicindelinae
Latreille, 1802
Tribes
Cicindelini
Collyridini
Manticorini
Megacephalini
Synonyms
Cicindelidae Latreille, 1802
Tiger beetles are a large group of beetles known for their aggressive predatory
habits and running speed. The fastest species of tiger beetle, Cicindela hudsoni
, can run at a speed of 9 km/h (5.6 mph), or about 125 body lengths per second.[
1] As of 2005, about 2,600 species and subspecies were known, with the richest d
iversity in the Oriental (Indo-Malayan) region, followed by the Neotropics.[2]
Contents [hide]
1
Description
2
Adaptations
3
Taxonomy
4
Footnotes
5
Bibliography
6
External links
Description[edit]
Tiger beetles often have large bulging eyes, long, slender legs and large curved
mandibles. All are predatory, both as adults and as larvae. The genus Cicindela
has a cosmopolitan distribution. Other well-known genera include Tetracha, Omus
, Amblycheila and Manticora. While members of the genus Cicindela are usually di
urnal and may be out on the hottest days, Tetracha, Omus, Amblycheila and Mantic
ora are all nocturnal. Both Cicindela and Tetracha are often brightly colored, w
hile the other genera mentioned are usually uniform black in color. Tiger beetle
s in the genus Manticora are the largest in size of the subfamily. These live pr
imarily in the dry regions of southern Africa.
The larvae of tiger beetles live in cylindrical burrows as much as a meter deep.
They are large-headed, hump-backed grubs that flip backwards to capture prey in
sects that wander over the ground. The fast-moving adults run down their prey an
d are extremely fast on the wing, their reaction times being of the same order a
s that of common houseflies. Some tiger beetles in the tropics are arboreal, but
most run on the surface of the ground. They live along sea and lake shores, on
sand dunes, around playa lakebeds and on clay banks or woodland paths, being par
ticularly fond of sandy surfaces.[3]
Tiger beetles are
ogical studies on
he genus Methocha
ela spp., such as

considered a good indicator species and have been used in ecol

biodiversity. Several species of wingless parasitic wasps in t
(family Tiphiidae), lay their eggs on larvae of various Cicind
Cicindela dorsalis.[4]

Adaptations[edit]
Tiger beetles display an unusual form of pursuit in which they alternatively spr
int quickly toward their prey, then stop and visually reorient. This may be beca
use while running, the beetle is moving too fast for its visual system to accura
tely process images.[1] To avoid obstacles while running they hold their antenna
e rigidly and directly in front of them to mechanically sense their environment.
[5]
Taxonomy[edit]
Museum specimen of Manticora sp. from Mozambique.
The rare Salt Creek tiger beetle, Cicindela nevadica lincolniana
Cicindela aurofasciata from India, showing the large eyes and mandibles
Most tiger beetles run on the ground living on sand and lake shores
Cicindela chinensis
Tiger beetles were traditionally classified as the family Cicindelidae but most
authorities now treat them as the subfamily Cicindelinae of the Carabidae (groun
d beetles). The most recent classifications, however, have relegated them to a m
onophyletic subgroup within the subfamily Carabinae, though this is not yet univ
ersally accepted. Accordingly, there is no consensus classification for this gro
up, at any level from family down to subspecies, and it can be exceedingly diffi
cult to decipher the taxonomic literature surrounding this group. Many genera ar
e the result of the splitting of the large genus Cicindela, and many were descri
bed by the German entomologist Walther Horn.
The genera of tiger beetles include:[6]
Abroscelis Hope, 1838
Amblycheila Say, 1829
Aniara Hope, 1838
Antennaria Dokhtouroff, 1883
Apteroessa Hope, 1838
Archidela Rivalier, 1963
Baloghiella Mandl, 1981
Bennigsenium W. Horn, 1897
Brasiella Rivalier, 1954
Caledonica Chaudoir, 1860
Caledonomorpha W. Horn, 1897
Callytron Gistl, 1848
Calomera Motschulsky, 1862
Calyptoglossa Jeannel, 1946
Cenothyla Rivalier, 1969
Cephalota Dokhtouroff, 1883
Chaetodera Jeannel, 1946
Cheilonycha Lacordaire, 1843
Cheiloxya Guerin-Meneville, 1855
Cicindela Linnaeus, 1758
Collyris Fabricius, 1801
Cratohaerea Chaudoir, 1850
Ctenostoma Klug, 1821
Cylindera Westwood, 1831
Darlingtonica Cassola, 1986
Derocrania Chaudoir, 1860
Diastrophella Rivalier, 1957
Dilatotarsa Dokhtouroff, 1882
Distipsidera Westwood, 1837

Dromica Dejean, 1826

Dromicoida Werner, 1995
Dromochorus Guerin-Meneville, 1845
Ellipsoptera Dokhtouroff, 1883
Enantiola Rivalier, 1961
Eucallia Guerin-Meneville, 1844
Eunota Rivalier, 1954
Euprosopus Dejean, 1825
Euryarthron Guerin-Meneville, 1849
Eurymorpha Hope, 1838
Euzona Rivalier, 1963
Grandopronotalia W. Horn, 1936
Guineica Rivalier, 1963
Habrodera Motschulsky, 1862
Habroscelimorpha Dokhtouroff, 1883
Heptodonta Hope, 1838
Hypaetha Leconte, 1860
Iresia Dejean, 1831
Jansenia Chaudoir, 1865
Langea W. Horn, 1901
Leptognatha Rivalier, 1963
Lophyra Motschulsky, 1859
Macfarlandia Sumlin, 1981
Manautea Deuve, 2006
Mantica Kolbe, 1896
Manticora Fabricius, 1792
Megacephala Latreille, 1802
Megalomma Westwood, 1842
Metriocheila Thomson, 1857
Micromentignatha Sumlin, 1981
Microthylax Rivalier, 1954
Myriochila Motschulsky, 1862
Naviauxella Cassola, 1988
Neochila Basilewsky, 1953
Neocicindela Rivalier, 1963
Neocollyris W. Horn, 1901
Neolaphyra Bedel, 1895
Nickerlea W. Horn, 1899
Notospira Rivalier, 1961
Odontocheila Laporte, 1834
Omus Eschscholtz, 1829
Opilidia Rivalier, 1954
Opisthencentrus W. Horn, 1893
Orthocindela Rivalier, 1972
Oxycheila Dejean, 1825
Oxycheilopsis Cassola & Werner, 2004
Oxygonia Mannerheim, 1837
Oxygoniola W. Horn, 1892
Paraphysodeutera J. Moravec, 2002
Pentacomia Bates, 1872
Peridexia Chaudoir, 1860
Phyllodroma Lacordaire, 1843
Physodeutera Lacordaire, 1843
Picnochile Motschulsky, 1856
Platychile Macleay, 1825
Pogonostoma Klug, 1835
Polyrhanis Rivalier, 1963
Pometon Fleutiaux, 1899
Prepusa Chaudoir, 1850
Probstia Cassola, 2002

Pronyssa Bates, 1874

Pronyssiformia W. Horn, 1929
Prothyma Hope, 1838
Prothymidia Rivalier, 1957
Protocollyris Mandl, 1975
Pseudoxycheila Guerin-Meneville, 1839
Rhysopleura Sloane, 1906
Rhytidophaena Bates, 1891
Rivacindela Nidek, 1973
Ronhuberia J. Moravec & Kudrna, 2002
Salpingophora Rivalier, 1950
Socotrana Cassola & Wranik, 1998
Stenocosmia Rivalier, 1965
Sumlinia Cassola & Werner, 2001
Therates Latreille, 1816
Thopeutica Schaum, 1861
Tricondyla Latreille, 1822
Vata Fauvel, 1903
Waltherhornia Olsoufieff, 1934
Footnotes[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b Cornell News, Jan. 16, 1998 When tiger beetles chase prey at h
igh speeds they go blind temporarily, Cornell entomologists learn
Jump up ^ Pearson, D.L. & F. Cassola, 2005
Jump up ^ Werner, K. 2000
Jump up ^ Burdick, D.J. and Wasbauer, M.S. 1959. Biology of Methocha californica
Westwood (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae). Wasmann Jour. Biol. 17:75-88. Department of
Environmental Conservation
Jump up ^ Blinded by speed, tiger beetles use antennae to 'see' while running
Jump up ^ "Cicindelinae Latreille, 1802". Carabidae of the World. 2011. Retrieve
d 28 Jun 2011.
Bibliography[edit]
Further new country records of African Tiger Beetles with some taxonomical note
(Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) by Peter Schle. Entomologia Africana 15(2)2010.
The Tiger beetles of Africa by Karl Werner, Taita Publishers 2000.
A Quantitative Analysis of Species Descriptions of Tiger Beetles (Coleoptera Cic
indelidae), from 1758 to 2004, and Notes about Related Developments in Biodivers
ity Studies by D.L. Pearson and F. Cassola. The Coleopterists Bulletin Vol 59, n2
, June 2005.
Tiger Beetles of Alberta: Killers on the Clay, Stalkers on the Sand by John Acor
n. University of Alberta Press, 2001.
Tiger Beetles: The Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity of the Cicindelids by David
L. Pearson and Alfried P. Vogler. Cornell University Press, 2001.
A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada by David L. P
earson, C. Barry Knisley and Charles J. Kazilek. Oxford University Press, 2005.
The Beetles of the World, volumes 13 [1], 15 [2], 18 [3] & 20 [4] by Karl Werner
, Sciences Nat, Venette, 1991, 1992, 1993 & 1995.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cicindelidae.
Wikispecies has information related to: Cicindelinae
Cicindela Online
http://homepage3.nifty.com/trechinae/cicinw.htm (Japanese)
Planet's Coolest Critters -- Tiger Beetles
Tiger Beetles of the U.S.A.
Tiger Beetles of Papua Indonesia
Tiger beetles of Florida on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
Moravec J. (2010): Tiger Beetles of the Madagascan Region (Madagascar, Seychelle
s, Comoros, Mascarenes, and other islands) Taxonomic revision of the 17 genera o
ccurring in the region (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae),430 pp.
Siuslaw Hairy-Necked Tiger Beetle Video produced by Oregon Field Guide
Categories: CicindelinaeCarabidae

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