''Cicindela aurulenta'', common name blue-spotted or golden-spotted tiger beetle, is a beetle of the
family Carabidae.
Description
''Cicindela aurulenta'' reaches about in length. ''C. aurulenta'' have polychromatic and
iridescent
Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...
external appearance. This species has blue-green elytra, with six large yellowish-white or bluish spots and two smaller spots on the shoulders. The medial large spot is somewhat more crescent-shaped compared to the anterior and posterior spots. Its elytra appears reddish-orange along the base and margins. When viewed dorsally, head and thorax are blue-green, with appearances of red-orange under certain light conditions due to its iridescent colouration. It has two prominent compound eyes and large, predominantly black mandibles with yellowish-white marking at its base. It has a labrum that's ivory-white with black base and margins. Its antennae is filiform. Its scape, pedicel, and first two flagellum are blue-green; while the remaining flagellum are dull black. It has pale colored hairs on the abdomen and legs.
Distribution
''C. aurulenta'' is widespread throughout the Indo-Malaya region. This species is distributed across Nepal, Bhutan, India, China, and Southeast Asia.
It ranges as far south as the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Lesser Sundas, such as Bali.
Several subspecies variations co-occur within these regions.
Habitat
''C. aurulenta'' can be found in a wide range of sandy habitats, including riverbars, forest trails, and sand dunes near shorelines and mangroves.
Taxonomy
This species is currently placed in the genus ''Cicindela'' and in the subgenus ''Cosmodela'' Rivalier, 1961.
This species has several subspecies, with varying and overlapping geographical ranges between one another.
The recognised subspecies of C''. aurulenta'':
* ''C. a. aurulenta''
Fabricius Fabricius ( la, smith, german: Schmied, Schmidt) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*people from the Ancient Roman gens Fabricia:
**Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, the first of the Fabricii to move to Rome
* Johann Goldsmid (1587†...
, 1801 — Malaysia, Indonesia
* ''C. a. juxtata''
Acciavatti & Pearson, 1989 —
India,
Mainland Southeast Asia
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
, southern parts of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Hong Kong
* ''C. a. flavomaculata''
Chevrolat, 1845 — India, Myanmar, China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia
* ''C. a. virgula''
Fleutiaux, 1893 — Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam
Some authors consider ''Cosmodela'' to be a distinct genus whereby the subspecific epithets are classified as their own species.
References
Universal Biological Indexer* William Jardin
The naturalist's library
External links
aurulenta
Beetles described in 1801
{{Cicindelinae-stub