''Cicindela aurulenta'', common name blue-spotted or golden-spotted tiger beetle, is a beetle of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Cicindelidae 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. ...

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 gradually to change colour as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Iridescence is caused by wave interference of light in microstruc ...

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 river bars, forest trails, and sand dunes near shorelines and mangroves.

Communal Roosting

In 2024 communal roosting behaviour was seen with ''C. aurulenta'' in Malaysian Borneo. Groups of up to 50 individuals were seen on low Turmeric plants, evenly spaced on the leaves. This behaviour is not fully understood but could be a defence mechanism against predators. Possibly giving the group more lines of sight to detect oncoming predators, or to enhance their chemical defences.

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 (, ) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *people from the Ancient Roman Fabricia gens, gens Fabricia: **Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, the first of the Fabricii to move to Rome * Johann Goldsmid (1587–1616), known by his ...

, 1801 — Malaysia, Indonesia * ''C. a. juxtata'' Acciavatti & Pearson, 1989 —

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Mainland Southeast Asia Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) 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 th ...

, southern parts of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

* ''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