Cicindela dorsalis
| Cicindela dorsalis | |
|---|---|
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| Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Carabidae |
| Genus: | Cicindela |
| Species: | C. dorsalis |
| Binomial name | |
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Cicindela dorsalis Say, 1817 |
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Cicindela dorsalis (common name eastern beach tiger beetle) is a species of tiger beetle.
The body length is 13 to 15 millimetres (0.51 to 0.59 in). The head and thorax are bronze-green, the legs are long and slender, and the elytra are white to light tan with narrow bronze markings. The head has long antennae, large compound eyes, and powerful jaws. There are white hairs on the pronotum and the sides of the abdomen. The pale coloration provides camouflage for the beetle on the light sand. The larvae are grub-like, with long, segmented bodies and large jaws similar to those of adults.
The larva of the subspecies C. d. media is notable for its ability to leap into the air, loop its body into a rotating wheel and roll along the sand at a high speed using wind to propel itself. If the wind is strong enough, the larva can cover up to 60 metres (200 ft) in this manner. This remarkable ability may have evolved to help the larva escape predators such as the tiphiid wasp Methocha. Wheel locomotion in nature is extremely rare and has only been observed in a few animals around the world.
Four subspecies of C. dorsalis are known. C. d. media is found along the southeast coast of the United States, including South Carolina. C. d. dorsalis is found along the northeast coast. C. d. saulcyi and C. d. venusta occur along the coasts of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and Mexico. In general, C. dorsalis is most abundant on broad, fine-sand beaches that are highly exposed to tidal action and relatively undisturbed by humans. In order for the beetles to breed, beaches need to be at least 100 metres (330 ft) long and 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) wide, 5-8 being the optimal width. The eastern beach tiger beetle prefers a climate with average temperatures exceeding 15 °C and moderate to arid rainfall totals.
The entire life cycle lasts 2 years. Adults emerge between mid-June and mid-August, usually reaching peak abundance by mid-July and declining by September. They spend the day foraging in the intertidal zone when the weather is warm and sunny. They feed on small invertebrates including flies, ants, and amphipods, but will also scavenge dead fish and crabs.
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Wikipedia