Cicindela scutellaris rugifrons

Distinguished from C. s. unicolor by its more wrinkled pronotum and smoother head (the reverse pattern occurs in unicolor). Differs from C. s. flavoviridis by its green rather than yellow-green coloration. Separated from C. s. rugata by brighter green color with white maculations versus solid blue to blue-green without maculations. Can be confused with C. sexguttata, but C. s. rugifrons has more domed elytra with rounded apices and females have dark labrum (both sexes of C. sexguttata have white labrum). The subspecies is limited to the northern Atlantic seaboard, whereas similar-appearing intergrade populations in the southeastern U.S. represent C. s. lecontei × unicolor.

Adults exhibit bright metallic green coloration on the elytra, pronotum, and head. White maculations are present along the outer edge of the elytra, including a well-developed apical "C"-shaped mark. The pronotum is distinctly wrinkled (rugose), from which the subspecific epithet is derived. The head is relatively smoother compared to the closely related C. s. unicolor. Males possess a white labrum; females have a dark to black labrum. The elytra have a noticeably domed profile with rounded rather than tapered apices.

Deep, dry sand habitats fully exposed to sunlight without standing water. Occupies sand dunes, blowouts, road cuts, and other open sandy areas. Associated with coastal and near-coastal environments along the upper Atlantic seaboard.

Upper Atlantic seaboard of North America, ranging from New England southward along the coast. Records exist from Maine and coastal areas south through the mid-Atlantic region. The subspecies is geographically isolated from other C. scutellaris subspecies by habitat and distance.

• Cicindela s. unicolorSimilar shiny blue-green coloration without maculations, but has smoother pronotum and more wrinkled head (opposite pattern to rugifrons)
• Cicindela s. flavoviridisShares wrinkled pronotum and smoother head, but has yellow-green rather than green coloration
• Cicindela s. rugataShares wrinkled pronotum and smoother head, but has solid blue to blue-green coloration without white maculations
• Cicindela sexguttataImmaculate green forms can appear similar, but C. sexguttata has less robust body, more tapered elytral apex, and both sexes have white labrum
• Cicindela s. lecontei × unicolor intergradeSoutheastern Missouri populations resemble rugifrons in bright green coloration with white maculations, but represent intergradation between different subspecies; rugifrons is restricted to Atlantic coast

• Cicindelidae
• tiger beetle
• subspecies
• North America
• coastal
• sand habitat

• BugGuide
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• Catalogue of Life
• Cicindela scutellaris lecontei x scutellaris unicolor intergrades in southeast Missouri | Beetles In The Bush
• Cicindela scutellaris rugata (the “wrinkled tiger beetle”) | Beetles In The Bush
• Coleoptera | Beetles In The Bush | Page 8