Cicindela scutellaris rugata

Distinguished from C. s. unicolor (southeastern U.S.) by more wrinkled pronotum and smoother head—C. s. unicolor has smoother pronotum and more wrinkled head. Separated from C. s. flavoviridis (west Texas) by darker blue-green versus yellow-green elytral coloration; both share similar pronotal sculpturing. Differs from immaculate C. sexguttata by more robust body with less tapered posterior, and by labrum coloration: C. s. rugata males have white labrum and females dark/black labrum, while both sexes of C. sexguttata have whitish labrum.

Deep, dry sand habitats fully exposed to sun without standing water. Occurs in open post oak woodland with sandy substrate, sand bars along creeks, blowouts, dunes, and sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Frequently found in lightly managed rural cemeteries on deep sandy soils characteristic of the northern Texas Post Oak Savannah ecoregion.

Endemic to northeastern Texas (Henderson, Van Zandt, and adjacent counties) and possibly neighboring areas of Arkansas and Louisiana. Records from the Post Oak Savannah transitional ecoregion.

Spring-fall activity pattern: adults emerge in fall as sexually immature, overwinter in burrows, and re-emerge in spring to mate and oviposit. Most active during late morning hours; adults retreat to burrows during afternoon heat. Peak activity September–October based on collecting records.

Larval development occurs in vertical burrows in sandy soil. Adults emerge in fall, pass winter in burrows, and become reproductively active in spring. Eggs laid in spring develop through summer as larvae, with pupation preceding fall adult emergence.

Adults are fast-running, visually oriented predators. Exhibit thermoregulatory behaviors including stilting (elevating body on long legs) and shade-seeking during hot periods. Adults largely disappear from surface during afternoon, presumably having dug into burrows to escape heat. Rapid escape flights when disturbed, often alighting facing the threat to reduce profile.

Predator of small invertebrates including ants in sandy open habitats. Larvae are sedentary ambush predators in soil burrows. Co-occurs with and may experience competition or predation pressure from the larger C. formosa pigmentosignata; temporal separation noted with C. scutellaris occurring slightly earlier in spring and later in fall than C. formosa.

Subject of interest to entomologists and tiger beetle collectors due to restricted range and distinctive appearance. Population status potentially vulnerable due to habitat specificity and limited distribution.

• Cicindela scutellaris unicolorShiny blue-green without maculations, but has smoother pronotum and more wrinkled head; separated by Mississippi River floodplain
• Cicindela scutellaris flavoviridisShares wrinkled pronotum and smoother head but has yellow-green rather than blue-green elytra; occurs west of C. s. rugata range
• Cicindela sexguttataImmaculate green forms can appear similar, but less robust with more tapered posterior and different labrum coloration in both sexes
• Cicindela formosa pigmentosignataFrequently co-occurs in same habitat; larger with reddish-purple elytra and blue-green legs/sides

• tiger beetle
• Cicindelinae
• endemic
• Texas
• sand habitat
• subspecies
• metallic coloration

• BugGuide
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Cicindela scutellaris rugata (the “wrinkled tiger beetle”) | Beetles In The Bush
• Cicindela formosa pigmentosignata (the “reddish-green sand tiger beetle”) | Beetles In The Bush
• Coleoptera | Beetles In The Bush | Page 8
• Hymenoptera | Beetles In The Bush | Page 4
• Tigers along the Potomac: Bronzed Tiger Beetle, Cicindela repanda repanda — Bug of the Week
• Bug Eric: Springtime Tiger Beetles