Cicindela decemnotata montevolans

The sharply angled media band of the white elytral marking that does not reach the elytral edge is diagnostic for C. decemnotata as a whole. Within the species, C. d. montevolans is distinguished from other subspecies by morphological characters supported by molecular evidence, associated with montane populations. The species complex including C. decemnotata, C. limbalis, C. splendida, C. denverensis, C. sexguttata, C. patruela, and C. denikei share green coloration with variable red markings, but C. decemnotata is the westernmost member of this group.

Occupies montane or high-elevation areas within the broader range of the species. The parent species C. decemnotata is associated with alkaline flats, sandy ridges, and open sagebrush landscapes in western habitats. Specific habitat preferences for this subspecies relate to its montane distribution.

Montane areas within the Rocky Mountains region; the broader species range extends from the northwestern Great Plains and northern Great Basin north to Yukon. Distribution records indicate presence in Alaska, Canada, and the USA.

Adults are active in fall, with observations from September documented. Activity patterns likely follow typical tiger beetle behavior with peak activity in warm, sunny conditions.

Larval stages occur in burrows in sandy or alkaline soils. Developmental timing follows the typical tiger beetle pattern with larval overwintering and adult emergence in favorable seasons.

Adults are visual predators that actively hunt on the ground surface. When approached, individuals may initially appear calm but can become skittish and rapidly flee using their running ability. The species exhibits thermoregulatory behaviors including stilting (elevating the body on long legs) when photographed in natural settings, though confined individuals often adopt a 'hunkered down' posture.

Predatory tiger beetle functioning as a visual hunter of small arthropods in open, sandy, and alkaline habitats. The rapid phylogenetic radiation of this species following glacial recession represents a notable case of post-glacial colonization and diversification in the Cicindelinae.

Subject of taxonomic research combining morphological and molecular approaches to resolve subspecific variation. The formal recognition of subspecies including montevolans provides entities for conservation policy decisions and facilitates discussion of polytopic variation within the species.

• Cicindela limbalisOccurs further east in the Great Plains as part of a partially allopatric species complex; shares green coloration with red markings but differs in distribution and specific elytral pattern
• Cicindela splendidaEastern Great Plains relative in the same species complex; allopatric distribution separates it from C. decemnotata
• Cicindela denverensisAnother member of the eastern Great Plains species complex; distinguished by geography and subtle morphological differences
• Cicindela sexguttataOccupies more forested regions further east; ecologically and geographically distinct from the open-habitat western C. decemnotata
• Cicindela patruelaEastern forest-dwelling relative; separated by habitat preference and distribution
• Cicindela denikeiEastern forest species; allopatric with C. decemnotata and associated with different habitat types

• tiger beetle
• Cicindelinae
• subspecies
• montane
• Rocky Mountains
• post-glacial radiation

• BugGuide
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• One Bad Beetle | Beetles In The Bush
• Reunion in the Badlands… and beyond | Beetles In The Bush