tigers in texas - texas master naturalist · tigers in texas. texas parks and wildlife. mission. to...

Tigers in Texas

Ross WintonInvertebrate BiologistNongame & Rare Species ProgramTexas Parks & Wildlife

Texas Master Naturalist Annual MeetingRockwall, Texas

October 18-20, 2019

Photo: Denver Museum of Nature & Science / Chris Grinter

Tigers in Texas

Texas Parks and Wildlife

MissionTo manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Nongame & Rare Species ProgramThe Nongame and Rare Species Programs focus is Texas' rich diversity of nongame animals, plants, and natural communities. Our biologists collect, evaluate, and synthesize significant amounts of data to better inform conservation decisions and formulate management practices. By taking a proactive approach, we work to prevent the need for future threatened and endangered species listings and to recover listed species.

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Tigers in TexasColeoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae

Predatory Ground BeetlesSight predatorsLarvae burrow and wait for prey

Identification:Sickle-shaped mandibles with teeth11-segmented antennaeEyes and head wider than the abdomenLong thin legsTunnel-building behavior of larvae

Very charismatic group that gains a great deal of attention from collectors


Tigers in TexasCollecting Methods:

NetPitfall TrapDebris FlippingExtraction from nightly burrows“Fishing”

Observation Methods:Naked EyeBinocularsDigi-scoping

Know Habitat AssociationsAnticipating EmergenceGreat Guide Books

Photo: Denver Museum of Nature & Science / Chris Grinter, Arizona State University

MorphologySegments of the body

Thorax characters

Elytral maculation

Setae

Photo: Denver Museum of Nature & Science / Chris Grinter, Arizona State University

Life Cycle: 1-5 years, larvae to adult

Activity Period: spring, summer, fall

Notes:NocturnalFound on Sand DunesQuick to Fly or Flightless

Tiger Beetle

The “Giant” Tiger BeetlesAmblycheila

Life Cycle: Up to 5-year

Activity Period: Spring/Fall, Nocturnal

Notes:- Utilize Mammal Burrows- Largest of the Texas Cicindelines- Flightless- Do not come to lights



South Texas Giant Tiger BeetleAmblycheila hoversoni

Great Plains Giant Tiger BeetleAmblycheila cylindriformis

Plateau Giant Tiger BeetleAmblycheila picolominii

Amblycheila halffteri ?


Source: Knisley et al. 2006

South Texas Giant Tiger Beetle

Great Plains Giant Tiger Beetle

Plateau Giant Tiger Beetle


The “Dromo” Tiger BeetlesCicindela (Dromochorus)

Photo: Dan Duran, D.P. Duran et al. 2019

Life Cycle: 2-year

Activity Period: Summer, Late in Day or Cloudy

Notes:- Often Flightless or Not Quick to Fly


Loamy-ground Tiger BeetleDromochorus belfragei

Frosted Tiger BeetleDromochorus pruininus


Cajun Tiger BeetleDromochorus pilatei

Velvet Tiger BeetleDromochorus velutinigrens


Chaparral Tiger BeetleDromochorus chaparralensis

Gulf Prairie Tiger BeetleDromochorus welderensis

Juniper Grove Tiger BeetleDromochorus knisleyi

Pygmy Dromo Tiger BeetleDromochorus minimus


Dromochorus belfragei

Dromochorus pruininus

Dromochorus pilatei

Dromochorus velutinigrens

Dromochorus chaparralensis

Dromochorus knisleyi


Dromochorus welderensis

Dromochorus minimus

Source: Duran et al. 2019

The “Big-headed” Tiger BeetlesTetracha

Photo: Mike Quinn

Life Cycle: 3 to 4-year

Activity Period: Summer

Notes:- Flightless or Not Quick to Fly- Some species nocturnal- Some species come to lights


Pan-American Big-headed Tiger BeetleTetracha carolina

Upland Big-headed Tiger BeetleTetracha affinis

Photo: Mike Quinn

Virginia Big-headed Tiger BeetleTetracha virginica

Pan-American Big-headed Tiger Beetle

Upland Big-headed Tiger Beetle

Virginia Big-headed Tiger Beetle


Source: Knisley et al. 2006

The “Temperate” Tiger BeetlesCicindela



Activity Period: Spring, Summer & Fall

Notes:- Typically Quick to Fly- Many species partition by soil type- Very popular with collectors- Some species with multiple subspecies

Big Sand Tiger BeetleCicindela formosa

Splendid Tiger Beetle

Cicindela splendida

Life Cycle: 2+ yearsActivity Period: Spring, FallNotes: F – sand associate, S- red clay soils on roads


Six-spotted Tiger BeetleCicindela sexguttata

Bronzed Tiger BeetleCicindela repanda

Life Cycle: 2-yearActivity Period: Spring(s,r), Fall(r)Notes: S- Forest paths, R-Waters edge in sandy substrates.


Crimson SaltflatTiger BeetleCicindela fulgida

Twelve-spottedTiger Beetle

Cicindeladuodecimguttata

Life Cycle: 2+ yearsActivity Period: Spring, FallNotes: F – salt flats, D – silty & sandy soils near water

Photo: Denver Museum of Nature & Science / Chris Grinter, Ken Allen

Life Cycle: 2-yearsActivity Period: Spring, FallNotes: Sandy soils in open and forest.

FestiveTiger Beetle

Cicindela s. scutellaris Cicindela s. flavoviridis Cicindela s. rugata

Photo: Denver Museum of Nature & Science / Chris Grinter, Mike Quinn

Hairy-neckedTiger BeetleCicindela hirticollis

Cow PathTiger Beetle

Cicindela purpurea

Life Cycle: 2-3 yearsActivity Period: Spring, FallNotes: Sandy to sandy-clay soils. H-waters edge, P-open paths and trails


BeautifulTiger BeetleCicindela pulchra

Green ClaybankTiger Beetle

Cicindela denverensis

Life Cycle: 2-yearsActivity Period: Spring, FallNotes: D-grassy clay prairies, P-compact sandy soils


The “Tribon” Tiger BeetlesCicindela (Tribonia)


Activity Period: Spring & Fall

Notes:- Typically Quick to Fly- Many species partition by soil type- 5 species in the subgenus, 2 in Texas- Some species with multiple subspecies

Oblique-lined Tiger BeetleCicindela tranquebarica

Blowout Tiger Beetle

Cicindela lengi

Life Cycle: 2-yearsActivity Period: Spring, FallNotes: T-widespread, L-sandy soil in open areas


The “American” Tiger BeetlesCicindela (Cicindelidia)

Life Cycle: 2-year

Activity Period: Spring, Summer & Fall

Notes:- Typically Quick to Fly- Many species partition by soil type- Several species with red-brown to bright orange- Small eyes and often shorter legs- Several are only active in the summer

Life Cycle: 2-yearActivity Period: Spring, SUMMER & FallNotes: N-sandy soil in grass in summer at waters edge, W-clay at waters edge

Williston’sTiger BeetleCicindela willistoni

Black SkyTiger Beetle

Cicindela nigrocoerulea


*

Horn’sTiger BeetleCicindela hornii

Large GrasslandTiger Beetle

Cicindela obsoleta

Life Cycle: 2-3 yearsActivity Period: Summer, FallNotes: Gravel-loam to clay soils with salinity, hide under debris at mid-day


*

PuncturedTiger BeetleCicindela punctulata

Thin-linedTiger Beetle

Cicindela tenuisignata

Life Cycle: 2-yearActivity Period: SummerNotes: Hard packed sand, clay, loam near waters edge.


LimestoneTiger BeetleCicindela politula

Cazier’sTiger Beetle

Cicindela cazieri

Life Cycle: 2-yearActivity Period: Summer, Fall Notes: P-Found on rock outcrops, Limestone scrub

?


*

Eastern Red-belliedTiger BeetleCicindela rufiventris

Western Red-belliedTiger Beetle

Cicindelasedecimpunctata

Life Cycle: 1-2 year cycleActivity Period: SummerNotes: Summer active and comes to lights, R-rocky outcrops, slow flyer. S-mudflats and playas

Photo: Denver Museum of Nature & Science / Chris Grinter, Tom Murray

OcellatedTiger BeetleCicindela ocellata

WetsaltsTiger Beetle

Cicindela hemorrhagica

Life Cycle: 1-yearActivity Period: SummerNotes: Mud & alkali flats, ocean beaches


Schaupp’sTiger BeetleCicindela schauppii

S-bandedTiger Beetle

Cicindela trifasciata

Life Cycle: 1-2 yearsActivity Period: SummerNotes: S – attracted to lights, Saline limestone at the edge of vegetation, T-coastal dunes and shore.


The “Habro” Tiger BeetlesCicindela (Habroscelimorpha)

Life Cycle: 1 - 2 year


Notes:- Typically Slow to Fly but very fast runner- Tropical to sub-Tropical species- Often coastal or playa associated- Some attracted to lights

Cream-edgedTiger BeetleCicindela circumpicta

GlitteringTiger Beetle

Cicindela fulgoris

Life Cycle: 1-2 yearActivity Period: SummerNotes: Moist muddy salt flats. Attracted to lights.


*

Eastern BeachTiger BeetleCicindela dorsalis

GulfshoreTiger Beetle

Cicindela pamphila

Life Cycle: 1-2 yearsActivity Period: SummerNotes: Attracted to lights. Found on coastal dunes and shorelines.


SaltmarshTiger BeetleCicindela severa

Life Cycle: 1-2 yearsActivity Period: SummerNotes: Attracted to lights, quick to fly, moist mud or sand from coast to marshes. Sometimes escapes into fiddler crab holes.


White-cloakedTiger BeetleCicindela (Eunota) togata

Life Cycle: 1-2 yearActivity Period: SummerNotes:Only species in the genus. Spine at the tip of the elytra. Thick white setae or hairs on the body. Attracted to lights and well adapted to hot conditions.


*

Lime-headedTiger BeetleCicindela (Opilidia) chlorocephala

Life Cycle: 1-2 years?Activity Period: June - JulyNotes: Confined to beaches in far southern Texas in a single isolated population. Very fast runner that runs along the beach at the waters edge. Has not been detected in over 100 years.

Photo: Christopher C. Wirth, Smithsonian Institution

The “Round-thorax” Tiger Beetles

Cicindela (Cylindera)



Notes:- Small body size- Little to no hair on the thorax- Active only in the summer

White-stripedTiger BeetleCicindela lemniscata

Grass-runnerTiger Beetle

Cicindela debilis

Life Cycle: 1-2 yearsActivity Period: SummerNotes: Easy to mistake for large red harvester ants which are found in the same habitats. Not good flyers

?


Swift Tiger BeetleCicindela celeripes

Life Cycle: 1-2 yearsActivity Period: Summer Notes: Flightless and runs like an ant at the bases of vegetation in a variety of soils. Rarely collected.

Photo: Charles Schurch Lewallen

*

The “Ellipsed-winged” Tiger Beetles

Cicindela (Ellipsoptera)


Activity Period: Spring through Fall

Notes:- Coastal species or at the waters edge - Very large eyes and long legs

Life Cycle: 1-2 yearsActivity Period: Spring - FallNotes: H- comes to lights and flies short distances, N-found on wet often alkali or saline soils.

White-stripedTiger BeetleCicindela hamata


Cicindela nevadica


*

White-stripedTiger BeetleCicindela cuprascens


Cicindela macra

Life Cycle: 1-2 yearsActivity Period: Spring -FallNotes: Normally flightless and attracted to lights. Sandy sparsely vegetated areas near water.


White-stripedTiger BeetleCicindela sperata


Cicindela marutha

Life Cycle: 2-3 yearActivity Period: SummerNotes: Muddy and sandy beaches near water. Often flightless and attracted to lights.


White-stripedTiger BeetleCicindela lepida

Life Cycle: 2-3 yearsActivity Period: SummerNotes: Prefers dune habitat and is often found in swales. Larval burrows can reach 2-3m deep. Attracted to lights. Flies straight up and is caught by wind to evade predators.


Call to ActionSubmit your observations (iNat & BugGuide)

- Statewide Distribution- Unique species and habitats- Really need observations of SGCN’s and other rare and declining species

Photos - Take Good Clear Photos from multiple angles- Make notes and take photos of Habitat

Submit to iNat or BugGuide to help us learn more about these unique Texas species.

References & Acknowledgements

Data:Pearson et al. 2006Duran et al. 2019Mike Quinn (TexasEnto)

Photos:Chris GrinterMike QuinnChris WirthDan DuranCharles Schurch LewallenTom MurrayKen Allen


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