''Habroscelimorpha dorsalis'', commonly known as the eastern beach tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle (Cicindelini tribe) in the family

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. ...

. It is found in Central America and North America.

Description

The body length is . The head and

thorax The thorax (: thoraces or thoraxes) or chest is a part of the anatomy of mammals and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main di ...

are bronze-green, the legs are long and slender, and the

elytra An elytron (; ; : elytra, ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometime ...

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 The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on e ...

and the sides of the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

.Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program: Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle
/ref> The pale coloration provides

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

for the beetle on the light sand. The

larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...

are grub-like, with long, segmented bodies and large jaws similar to those of adults. ''Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis'', commonly known as the Northeastern beach tiger beetle, is the largest subspecies of ''Habroscelimorpha dorsalis''. In 2012, the subgenus ''Habroscelimorpa'' was reclassified to the genus level Fitting to its name, the Northeastern beach tiger beetle is found along the north-eastern coast of the US and dwells in small sand burrows. The beetle is highly susceptible to abundant human activity and

beach erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward r ...

, and in 1990, the Northeastern beach tiger beetle was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). It is the only subspecies to be listed under the ESA.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (n.d.). Listed Animals. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://ecos.fws.gov The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

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 in this manner. This remarkable ability may have evolved to help the larva escape predators such as the thynnid wasp '' Methocha''. Wheel locomotion in nature is extremely rare and has only been observed in a few animals around the world.Wind-Powered Wheel Locomotion, Initiated by Leaping Somersaults, in Larvae of the Southeastern Beach Tiger Beetle (''Cicindela dorsalis media'')
/ref>

Subspecies

These four subspecies belong to the species ''Habroscelimorpha dorsalis'': * '' Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis'' (Say, 1817) * ''Habroscelimorpha dorsalis media'' (LeConte, 1856) * ''Habroscelimorpha dorsalis saulcyi'' (Guérin-Méneville, 1840) * ''Habroscelimorpha dorsalis venusta'' (LaFerte-Senectere, 1841)

Range and habitat

''H. d. media'' is found along the southeast coast of the United States, including

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. '' H. d. dorsalis'' is found along the northeast coast. ''C. d. saulcyi'' and ''C. d. venusta'' occur along the coasts of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, 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 long and wide, 5-8 being the optimal width.USFWS
''Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis'' Five-year Review.
/ref> The eastern beach tiger beetle prefers a climate with average temperatures exceeding 15 °C and moderate to arid rainfall totals.

Animal Diversity Web The Animal Diversity Web (ADW) is a non-profit group that hosts an online database site that collects natural history, classification, species characteristics, conservation biology, and distribution information on species of animals. The website ...

''Cicindela dorsalis'' (northeastern beach tiger beetle)
/ref>

Biology

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 The intertidal zone or foreshore is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; in other words, it is the part of the littoral zone within the tidal range. This area can include several types of habitats with various ...

when the weather is warm and sunny. They feed on small

invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...

s including

flies Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...

ant Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...

s, and

amphipods Amphipoda () is an order (biology), order of malacostracan crustaceans with no carapace and generally with laterally compressed bodies. Amphipods () range in size from and are mostly detritivores or scavengers. There are more than 10,700 amphip ...

, but will also scavenge dead

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

and

crabs Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the thorax. Their exoskeleton is often thickened and ha ...

.The State Of New Jersey
Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle, ''Cicindela d. dorsalis''
/ref>

Mating In biology, mating is the pairing of either opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for the purposes of sexual reproduction. ''Fertilization'' is the fusion of two gametes. '' Copulation'' is the union of the sex organs of two sexually repr ...

takes place between mid-July and early August when the weather is warm and humid. Females lay their eggs in the intertidal zone. They use sensitive hairs on their abdomen to determine whether the soil moisture content is suitable for larval survival and development.

Oviposition The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typica ...

takes place at night. The female uses her

ovipositor The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typica ...

to create a small hole in the sand where she deposits the eggs individually.Observations of Oviposition Behavior Among North American Tiger Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) Species and Notes on Mass Rearing
/ref> Eggs hatch in mid-August, and the larvae dig vertical burrows where they secure themselves using hooks along their abdomen. They are predatory and prey on passing insects and other small invertebrates. Tiger beetle larvae go through three

instars An instar (, from the Latin ''wikt:instar#Latin, īnstar'' 'form, likeness') is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, which occurs between each ecdysis, moult (''ecdysis'') until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the ...

before pupating. They usually reach the second instar by September. As winter approaches, the larvae dig new burrows higher up the beach to protect themselves against storms and wave activity. After

overwintering Overwintering is the process by which some organisms pass through or wait out the winter season, or pass through that period of the year when "winter" conditions (cold or sub-zero temperatures, ice, snow, limited food supplies) make normal activ ...

, they emerge in late May and June. Then they reach the third instar and overwinter again. The following spring they

pupa A pupa (; : pupae) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages th ...

te in their burrows and emerge as adults. Habroscelimorpha dorsalis media P1010646a

Status

The subspecies ''C. d. dorsalis'' (northeastern beach tiger beetle) suffered a major decline over the last 20 years. It used to be found all along the Atlantic coast of the US from

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Today it only occurs in the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...

island off the coast of Massachusetts, and Virginia. This decline was caused by the destruction and disturbance of the beetle's natural beach habitat by human activity, one of the greatest threats being shoreline hardening by the placement of rip-rap. Other threats include

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

and

pesticides Pesticides are substances that are used to pest control, control pest (organism), pests. They include herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, and many others (see table). The most common of these are herbicides, which account for a ...

, as well as the use of

off-road vehicles An off-road vehicle (ORV), also known as an off-highway vehicle (OHV), overland vehicle or adventure vehicle, is a type of transportation specifically engineered to navigate unpaved roads and surfaces. These include trails, forest roads, and o ...

that crush adults and larvae, also damaging larval burrows. In 2009 the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is a List of federal agencies in the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior which oversees the management of fish, wildlife, ...

recommended ''C. d. dorsalis'' be uplisted to endangered status.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from1=Q13650352, from2=Q5119427 Cicindelidae Beetles of North America Beetles described in 1817 Fauna of the Southeastern United States Rolling animals