Beetles of North Carolina

Family (Alpha):
Scientific Name: Common Name:

View	CARABIDAE Members:	Members of Cicindela:	60 NC Records
Cicindela scutellaris - Festive Tiger Beetle

Compare with: Autumn Tiger Beetle Six-spotted Tiger Beetle
Identification Tips: Move the cursor over the image, or tap the image if using a mobile device, to reveal ID Tips.
Note: ID Tips follow Pearson et al., 2015

Photo: Mark Shields

Taxonomy

Family: CARABIDAE	Subfamily: Cicindelinae	Subgenus: Cicindela
Comments: One of 38 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Pearson et al., 2015), 12 of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Species Status: Seven subspecies have been described (Pearson et al., 2015). Both C. scutellaris unicolor and C. s. rugifrons occur in North Carolina, with a broad zone of intergradation running diagonally across the state from the northeastern Piedmont to the southeastern Coastal Plain (see map in Pearson et al., 2015). Both of these subspecies are globally ranked as T5 (NatureServe Explorer, 2018).

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Evans (2014)

Online Resources: BugGuide, Wikipedia, GBIF iNaturalist

Technical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Knisley and Schultz (1997); Pearson et al. (2015)

Distribution in North Carolina


County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.


Flight Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: This is a highly psammophilic species, with almost all of our records coming from dry to xeric sandhills dominated by Longleaf Pine, xerophytic oaks, and lichens. Most populations are associated with natural habitats but at least a few have been recorded in sand mines.

See also Habitat Account for Dry-Xeric Sand Barrens and Glades

Diet: Predacious, presumably feeding on a wide variety of small insects and other arthropods

Observation Methods: As a diurnally active species, the dark green or purple forms of this species are conspicuous against the pale sands of its preferred habitats

Abundance/Frequency:

Adult Phenology:

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5T5 [S3S4]

State Protection: As with other North Carolina insects, no state laws provide them any protection. Permits must be obtained, however, to collect them in State Parks and other nature preserves

Comments: This species is a strong habitat specialist and large areas of its sandhill habitats have been converted to pine plantations, golf courses, and other human uses. Suppression of naturally occurring fires is also changing the once open barrens habitats it prefers to shrub thickets or closed canopy forests. Management recommendations include protection of larval habitats from the impacts of sand-mining, off-road vehicle use, and trampling from human foot-traffic. Where associated with fire-maintained vegetation, prescribed burns should be used to keep the habitats open.

Photo Gallery for Cicindela scutellaris - Festive Tiger Beetle
	Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther Columbus Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Shields Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther Columbus Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther Columbus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: John Petranka Bladen Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields Hoke Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Shields Hoke Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steve Hall Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Steve Hall Scotland Co. Comment: Male
	Recorded by: Mark Shields Pender Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Shields Columbus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ed Corey Bladen Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips Bladen Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips Bladen Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields Carteret Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Steve Hall and John Amoroso Bladen Co. Comment: Female -- face is all black (collected; a male with a pure white labrum was also collected). Note the faint apical spots, which are missing in both nigrior and supposedly in pure forms of subspecies unicolor

Cicindela scutellaris - Festive Tiger Beetle

Photo Gallery for Cicindela scutellaris - Festive Tiger Beetle