Cicindela aurulenta
| Cicindela aurulenta | |
|---|---|
| |
| Cicindela aurulenta from Java. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Cicindelidae |
| Genus: | Cicindela |
| Species: | C. aurulenta
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cicindela aurulenta Fabricius, 1801
| |
Cicindela aurulenta, common name blue-spotted or golden-spotted tiger beetle, is a beetle of the family Cicindelidae.[1]
Description
[edit]Cicindela aurulenta reaches about 15–18 millimetres (0.59–0.71 in) in length. C. aurulenta have polychromatic and iridescent 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
[edit]C. aurulenta is widespread throughout the Indo-Malaya region. This species is distributed across Nepal, Bhutan, India, China, and Southeast Asia.[2] It ranges as far south as the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Lesser Sundas, such as Bali.[3] Several subspecies variations co-occur within these regions.[2][4]
Habitat
[edit]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
[edit]
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. [5]
Taxonomy
[edit]This species is currently placed in the genus Cicindela and in the subgenus Cosmodela Rivalier, 1961.[6][7] This species has several subspecies, with varying and overlapping geographical ranges between one another.
The recognised subspecies of C. aurulenta:
- C. a. aurulenta Fabricius, 1801 — Malaysia, Indonesia[4]
- C. a. juxtata Acciavatti & Pearson, 1989 — India, Mainland Southeast Asia, southern parts of China, Hong Kong[3][4][8]
- C. a. flavomaculata Chevrolat, 1845 — India, Myanmar, China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia[2]
- C. a. virgula Fleutiaux, 1893 — Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam[2]
Some authors consider Cosmodela to be a distinct genus whereby the subspecific epithets are classified as their own species.[2][3][7]
References
[edit]- ^ Duran, Daniel P.; Gough, Harlan M. (2020). "Validation of tiger beetles as distinct family (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), review and reclassification of tribal relationships". Systematic Entomology. 45 (4): 723–729. doi:10.1111/syen.12440.
- ^ a b c d e Kemal, Muhabbet; Koçak, Ahmet (2008-12-17). "Cicindela (Cosmodela) aurulenta Fabr. in North Thailand (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae)". CESA News. 36: 4–5 – via Web of Science.
- ^ a b c Putchkov, Alexander V.; Markina, Tetiana Yu. (2020-10-08). "The description of the tiger beetle larvae of Cosmodela aurulenta (Fabricius, 1801)(Coleoptera, Cicindelidae)". Zootaxa. 4859 (4): 537–544. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4859.4.5. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 33056183. S2CID 222841949.
- ^ a b c Acciavatti, Robert E.; Pearson, David L. (1989). The tiger beetle genus Cicindela (Coleoptera, Insecta) from the Indian subcontinent. Carnegie Museum of Natural History. pp. 131–132. OCLC 1261514.
- ^ Kempton, Alex (June 2024). "Communal Nocturnal Roosts of Cosmodela Aurulenta in Malaysian Borneo". Cicindela. 56 (2): 48.
- ^ Capinera, John L., ed. (2008). Encyclopedia of Entomology. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-6359-6. ISBN 978-1-4020-6242-1.
- ^ a b Fukuda, Yuki; Ogawa, Ryo; Hori, Michio (2019-08-28). "The reclassification of Sophiodela and other tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) based on the structure of the everted internal sac of the male genitalia". Zootaxa. 4661 (2): 271–308. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4661.2.3. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 31716709. S2CID 202858665.
- ^ Aston, Paul (2016-06-09). "Catalogue and Bibliography of the Hong Kong Carabidae Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Adephaga), with notes on the historic boundaries of Hong Kong as related to zoological collections". Zootaxa. 4121 (3): 201–257. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4121.3.1. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 27395221.
- Universal Biological Indexer
- William Jardine The naturalist's library
External links
[edit]
 | This tiger beetle-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |