| Cicindela floridana | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
 Critically Imperiled (NatureServe) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Adephaga |
| Family: | Cicindelidae |
| Genus: | Cicindela |
| Subgenus: | Cicindelidia |
| Species: | C. floridana |
| Binomial name | |
| Cicindela floridana Cartwright, 1939 | |
Cicindela (Cicindelidia) floridana, or the Miami tiger beetle, is a species of endangered tiger beetle in the tribe Cicindelini. It is restricted to the Miami area in Southern Florida, and is one of the rarest species of tiger beetle in the United States.
Appearance
Adults
The Miami tiger beetle is small, growing between 6.5–9 mm (0.26–0.35 in) in length, depending on sex. The colour of the elytra varies; many individuals appear metallic green, but some may be bluish or copper, and may appear black without closer scrutiny. The elytra have small indentations.
Larvae
The larvae are grub-like and sedentary, with a metallic head and large mandibles. Their fifth segments are enlarged and have hooks, to keep the larva attached in its burrow.
History
The Miami tiger beetle was first discovered and collected in 1934 by Frank N. Young, who sent some to the entomologist Oscar Cartwright. Cartwright only formally described it five years later, as Cicindela abdominalis var. floridana, but no specimens were collected for nearly six decades. In 2007, observations of the beetle were made in the Miami area.
Habitat
The Miami Tiger Beetle is restricted pine rockland habitat around the city of Miami.
References
- "Cicindelidia floridana". NatureServe.
- "Miami tiger beetle". The Encyclopedia of Life.
- Citizen science observations for Cicindela floridana at iNaturalist
- ^ Knisley, C. Barry; Brzoska, David (March 2018). "Habitat, Distribution, Biology, and Conservation of the Miami Tiger Beetle, Cicindelidia floridana (Cartwright) (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 72 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1649/0010-065X-72.1.1. ISSN 0010-065X.
- Pearson, David L.; Knisley, C. Barry; Duran, Daniel P.; Kazilek, Charles J. (2015-03-10). A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada: Identification, Natural History, and Distribution of the Cicindelinae. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-936718-4.
- "ECOS: Species Profile". ecos.fws.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ "Miami Tiger Beetle Ecology". www.zoomiami.org. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ "Miami Tiger Beetle (Cicindelidia floridana) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". FWS.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- Beaton, Robert Gifford; Krotzer, R. Stephen; Holt, Brian D. (2021-08-31). Tiger Beetles of the Southeastern United States: A Field Guide. University of Alabama Press. ISBN 978-0-8173-5998-0.
- ^ Brzoska, David; Knisley, C. Barry; Slotten, Jeffrey (2011). "Rediscovery of Cicindela scabrosa floridana Cartwright (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) and its elevation to species level". Insecta Mundi – via ResearchGate.
- ^ "Natural history". www.biologicaldiversity.org. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ "Miami tiger beetle". www.biologicaldiversity.org. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Cicindela floridana | |