Cicindela ohlone

Freitag & Kavanaugh, 1993

Ohlone Tiger Beetle

Cicindela ohlone is an endangered tiger to Santa Cruz County, California, discovered in 1987 and described in 1993. It is most closely related to C. purpurea but differs in larger body size, distinct genital , and a unique late winter-spring activity period. The occupies a restricted 24 km² range with five remaining subpopulations, having declined from 10-15 historical patches. Listed under the U.S. Act in 2001, it ongoing threats from destruction, vegetation, and recreational disturbance.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Cicindela ohlone: //sɪˈsɪndələ oʊˈloʊni//

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Identification

Distinguished from other purpurea group members by larger body size (9.5-12.5 mm, with females at the upper range), different male genital , and unique seasonal activity cycle (late winter-spring versus summer or spring-fall for ). Bright sericate green body with bronze tints on dorsum and . distribution relative to other purpurea group .

Habitat

Coastal terrace prairie grasslands on poorly drained clay or sandy clay soils over Santa Cruz mudstone. Requires bare or sparsely vegetated ground with hard-packed soil in late spring and summer for foraging, mating, and oviposition. patches maintained by cattle and horse grazing, controlled burns, and artificial bare-ground creation.

Distribution

to Santa Cruz County, California. Five extant subpopulations within 24 km²: Lower Marshall (1.5 ha), Wilder Ranch (3.5 km from Lower Marshall), Moore Creek (9.6 ha), University of California Santa Cruz campus (7.8 ha, 0.75 km from Moore Creek), and Glenwood (2.9 ha, 10 km north of other sites). Formerly occupied 10-15 patches.

Seasonality

active late January through May, with peak activity February-April. This late winter-spring activity period differs from all other tiger , which are active in summer or spring and fall. Oviposition occurs February through early April.

Diet

are that stalk and chase prey using visual cues, capturing arthropods in active pursuits with brief intermittent pauses or by waiting in shady areas and seizing prey with . Larvae are sit-and-wait predators that capture passing arthropods from burrow entrances.

Life Cycle

with potential for delayed development: hatch to first instar April-May (4-6 weeks), progress to second instar May-June, third instar by July; third instar plugs burrow and pupates late September-January; some individuals delay until following spring. Rare two-year cycles have been observed.

Behavior

forage, mate, and oviposit in open spaces on hard-packed soil. Stalk-and-chase hunting strategy with visual prey detection. High-speed bicycle traffic disrupts mating and foraging. Larvae construct cylindrical burrows flush with soil surface; -dependent competition occurs among larvae. Capable of recolonizing extirpated patches.

Ecological Role

as and larvae; contributes to in coastal prairie .

Human Relevance

Listed as endangered under U.S. Act (2001). Subject of intensive conservation management including controlled burns, cattle grazing restoration, artificial bare-ground creation, and trail restrictions during mating season. Threatened by urban development, vegetation encroachment, recreational disturbance, and drift. Conservation efforts on University of California Santa Cruz campus and California State Parks property have maintained where others have declined.

Similar Taxa

Cicindela purpureaMost closely related ; distinguished by smaller body size, different genital , and summer or spring-fall activity period versus late winter-spring for C. ohlone
Other purpurea group species distribution; C. ohlone separated geographically with no range overlap