''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic
beetle
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
s, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodies of water with sandy or occasionally clay soils; they can be found along rivers, sea and lake shores, sand dunes, around dry lakebeds, on clay banks, or woodland paths.
Etymology
The word "''Cicindela''" comes from the Latin word "cicindela", meaning "glowworm". This comes from the fact that members of the genus ''Cicindela'' are metallic and sometimes flashing.
Systematics
The genus ''Cicindela'' is (in its broadest historical sense) the largest genus of
tiger beetle
Tiger beetles are a family of beetles, Cicindelidae, known for their aggressive predatory habits and running speed. The fastest known species of tiger beetle, ''Rivacindela hudsoni'', can run at a speed of , or about 125 body lengths per second. ...
s, and they occur worldwide. The status of the genus is constantly in a state of flux, as various authorities on different continents have vastly different opinions about which (if any) of the dozens of subgenera traditionally recognized within the genus are deserving of being accorded status as independent genera. Moreover, this is one of the few insect taxa in which the rank of subspecies has traditionally been used repeatedly, and essentially no two classifications consistently treat the various members of the genus as to which are species and which are subspecies.
Treated as a single genus, and even with a fairly conservative estimate of species, there are over 850 (or even up to 2,300) species in the groupProença, S.J.R, Cytogenetic variability in three species of the genus Cicindela (s.l.) (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae): Karyotypes and localization of 18S rDNA genes.Genetics and Molecular Biology, 27, 4, 555-560 (2004) (thus being almost equal to the subtribe Cicindelina ( W.Horn, 1908), with several thousand published names applied, collectively. Currently most of the subgenera below are not settled, being considered genera of their own by some, and subgenera of the genus ''Cicindela'' by others. The genus is divided into the following subgenera:
*'' Cicindela (Ancylia)''
*'' Cicindela (Archidela)''
*'' Cicindela (Austrocicindela)''
*'' Cicindela (Brasiella)''
*'' Cicindela (Calochroa)''
*'' Cicindela (Calomera)''
*'' Cicindela (Cephalota)''
*'' Cicindela (Chaetodera)''
*'' Cicindela (Cicindela)''
*'' Cicindela (Cicindelidia)''
*'' Cicindela (Cosmodela)''
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Cicindela (Cylindera)
''Cylindera'' is a genus of tiger beetles native to the Palearctic, the Near East and northern Africa. It was a result of the breakup of the ''Cicindela'' genus, and the status of ''Cylindera'' as a genus or a subgenus of the genus ''Cicindela ...
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Cicindela (Duponti)
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela (Euzona)
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
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Cicindela (Fulgoris)
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela (Habroscelimorpha)
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
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Cicindela (Hypaetha)
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
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Cicindela (Jansonia)
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela (Lophyridia)
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela (Macfarlandia)
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
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Cicindela (Micromentignatha)
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
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Cicindela (Myriochile)
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela (Neolaphyra)
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists ...
Cicindela (Pachydela)
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela (Pancallia)
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela (Rivacindela)
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists ...
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Cicindela (Sophiodela)
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
Cicindela coerulea
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela colombica
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela decemnotata
''Cicindela decemnotata'', the badlands tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in North America.
Subspecies
These five subspecies belong to the species ''Cicindela decemnotata'':
* ''Cicindela dece ...
Cicindela depressula
''Cicindela depressula'', the dispirited tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 o ...
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Cicindela dorsalis
''Habroscelimorpha dorsalis'', commonly known as the eastern beach tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Cicindelidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Description
The body length is . The head and thor ...
Cicindela gemmata
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
Cicindela hirticollis
''Cicindela hirticollis'' is a species of tiger beetle that is commonly found in sand bars and sandy beaches, is medium-sized, is about long, and is active in the summer. The Dorsum (biology), dorsal surfaces of the head, prothorax, and elytra ...
Cicindela lengi
''Cicindela lengi'', the blowout tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which ...
Cicindela limbata
''Cicindela limbata'', the sandy tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which ...
Cicindela majalis
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela marginata
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
Cicindela oregona
''Cicindela oregona'', also called the Western tiger beetle, is a species of ground beetles native to North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is b ...
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Cicindela parowana
''Cicindela parowana'', the dark saltflat tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 ...
Cicindela pugetana
''Cicindela pugetana'', the sagebrush tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of ...
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Cicindela pulchra
''Cicindela pulchra'' is a species of ground beetle of the subfamily Cicindelinae. It is found in such United States, US states as Colorado, northwestern Oklahoma, western Kansas, and eastern Arizona. It is red in colour. Its elytra, pronotum and ...
Cicindela purpurea
''Cicindela purpurea'', known generally as the purple tiger beetle or cow path tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in North America.
Subspecies
These five subspecies belong to the species ''Cici ...
Cicindela sahlbergii
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
Cicindela sexguttata
The six-spotted tiger beetle, also known as the six-spotted green tiger beetle (''Cicindela sexguttata''), is a common North American species of Tiger beetles in the Cicindelinae subfamily. It is common in many areas of the states, and is well ...
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Cicindela soluta
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
Cicindela splendida
''Cicindela splendida'', the splendid tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of ...
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Cicindela sylvatica
''Cicindela sylvatica'' is a tiger beetle, commonly known as the wood tiger beetle or heath tiger beetle. It is the largest of the British tiger beetles with a length of between . It is black in colour with a blue tinge, more pronounced on the u ...
Cicindela tenuicincta
''Cicindela tenuicincta'', the short-legged tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,0 ...
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Cicindela theatina
''Cicindela theatina'', commonly known as the Great Sand Dunes tiger beetle, is a predatory beetle found in sparsely vegetated sandy habitats. The species' range encompasses only about in the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Great S ...
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Cicindela tranquebarica
''Cicindela tranquebarica'', the oblique-lined tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Cicindelidae
Tiger beetles are a family of beetles, Cicindelidae, known for their aggressive predatory habits and running speed. The ...
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Cicindela transbaicalica
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Cicindela turkestanika
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
File:Cicindela depressula ssp depressula Washington 081015.jpg, ''
Cicindela depressula
''Cicindela depressula'', the dispirited tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 o ...
Cicindela aurofasciata
''Cicindela aurofasciata'' (sometimes called the "gold cross") is a species of tiger beetle endemic to India. It usually occurs in open grass dominated habitats and varies in size between 12 and 14 mm long. It is closely related to ''Cicinde ...
Cicindela marginata
''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...
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Image:Salt Creek Tiger Beetle.jpg, ''
Cicindela nevadica lincolniana
The Salt Creek tiger beetle (''Cicindela nevadica lincolniana'') is a critically endangered species, endangered subspecies of tiger beetle endemic (ecology), endemic to the salinity, saline wetlands of northern Lancaster County, Nebraska, adjace ...
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Image:Green tiger beetle 1.jpg, ''
Cicindela sexguttata
The six-spotted tiger beetle, also known as the six-spotted green tiger beetle (''Cicindela sexguttata''), is a common North American species of Tiger beetles in the Cicindelinae subfamily. It is common in many areas of the states, and is well ...
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Image:Cicindela sexguttata - six-spotted tiger beetle - desc-iridescent in sunlight on ground.jpg, ''
Cicindela sexguttata
The six-spotted tiger beetle, also known as the six-spotted green tiger beetle (''Cicindela sexguttata''), is a common North American species of Tiger beetles in the Cicindelinae subfamily. It is common in many areas of the states, and is well ...
Cicindela tranquebarica
''Cicindela tranquebarica'', the oblique-lined tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Cicindelidae
Tiger beetles are a family of beetles, Cicindelidae, known for their aggressive predatory habits and running speed. The ...
* ''Northeastern Tiger Beetles: A Field Guide to Tiger Beetles of New England and Eastern Canada'' by Jonathan G. Leonard and Ross T. Bell. CRC Press (1999).
* ''Tiger Beetles of Alberta: Killers on the Clay, Stalkers on the Sand'' by John Acorn. 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. Pearson, C. Barry Knisley and Charles J. Kazilek. Oxford University Press, 2005.