Cicindelidia haemorrhagica

LeConte, 1851

Wetsalts Tiger Beetle

Species Guides

2

Cicindelidia haemorrhagica is a tiger notable for its ability to inhabit extreme thermal environments. In Yellowstone National Park, it is exclusively associated with hot springs ranging from pH 2.7 to 9.0 and temperatures from 29.1 to 75.0°C, where it functions as the apex . The species exhibits remarkable thermal , with observed on substrates exceeding 50°C and showing minimal behavioral compared to in milder . Outside Yellowstone, it occurs in wet salt lakes, ponds, rivers, and tidal flats across the western United States.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Cicindelidia haemorrhagica: //ˌsɪsɪndɛˈlɪdiə ˌhiːməˈrædʒɪkə//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

The bright orange is a key identifying feature. Distinguished from similar by its association with thermal springs in Yellowstone and wet saline elsewhere. The reduced middle maculation on the aids identification. In Yellowstone, no other tiger species shares its extreme thermal habitat.

Appearance

have a bright orange , a characteristic that gives the its name. The show reduced middle maculation. The plates reflect heat, potentially acting as a thermal shield. Overall coloration includes metallic elements typical of the .

Habitat

In Yellowstone National Park: exclusively associated with active thermal springs, including both acid-sulfate chloride springs (pH ~2.9, water temperatures above 70°C) and alkaline springs (pH up to 9, water temperatures exceeding 60°C). Requires thermal pools with gradual margins (less than five-degree slope) and heated soils for larval burrows. All occupied springs have barren soil with gradual slope toward thermal water. Outside Yellowstone: wet salt lakes, lakes, ponds, rivers, sea beaches, and tidal flats across the western USA.

Distribution

Yellowstone National Park (17 documented locations throughout the park); additional hot spring associations in California and New Mexico; widespread across western United States in saline and freshwater . Closest non-YNP to Yellowstone sites is at C.J. Strike Wildlife Management Area in Idaho, 566 km distant.

Diet

Predatory; consumes prey within thermal spring . Prey items bioaccumulate heavy metals from microbial mats, which are subsequently biomagnified in C. haemorrhagica.

Life Cycle

Larvae construct burrows in thermally heated soils adjacent to springs or pools. forage in and reproduce near thermal pools. Visual counts of both adults and larval burrows used to assess abundance. sizes at Yellowstone sites estimated at 500-1500 individuals.

Behavior

Exhibits minimal attraction to light based on experiments; poorly responsive to black light and mercury vapor bulbs. Daytime activity concentrated within 4 meters of water's edge on exposed damp areas for , mate-finding, and hunting. activity typically limited to air temperatures above 15.5°C, though likely active at lower ambient temperatures due to warming of muscles on heated substrates. Unlike typical tiger beetles, shows minimal cooling even at extreme temperatures—does not exhibit stilting, abdominal dipping, or shade-seeking that characterize related in milder environments.

Ecological Role

Apex among eukaryotic animals associated with Yellowstone thermal features. Terminal consumer in that transfer heavy metals and metalloids from microbial mats through . Bioaccumulates heavy metals including chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, , cadmium, mercury, tin, lead, arsenic, selenium, and antimony, with at least 10-fold bioaccumulation factor for most metals (9.7-fold for arsenic specifically).

Human Relevance

Subject of scientific research on extremophile adaptations and thermal mechanisms. First recorded in Yellowstone in 1891. Research requires special permits and safety protocols due to hazardous thermal environments and bear activity.

Similar Taxa

  • Cicindelidia punctulataSimilar size and general form; distinguished by bright orange of C. haemorrhagica and its exclusive association with thermal springs in Yellowstone versus more general use by C. punctulata
  • Cicindelidia haemorrhagica populations outside YellowstoneNon-thermal in Idaho and elsewhere show typical tiger thermoregulatory (stilting, shade-seeking, abdominal dipping) that Yellowstone populations lack; also show lower thermal

More Details

Extreme Thermal Adaptation

Yellowstone show unique physiological and behavioral adaptations to extreme heat. Their plates reflect more heat than non-thermal populations, and they exhibit a 1.1°C higher lethal thermal maximum. Despite this modest physiological difference, they show dramatically different —completely ignoring thermal stress that would trigger immediate cooling responses in other populations.

Research Challenges

Study of this in Yellowstone requires minimum three-person teams: one to observe and record , one to take temperature readings, and one to monitor for bears. Thermal video recordings used to document surface temperatures where beetles are active.

Heavy Metal Bioaccumulation

As apex in thermal spring , C. haemorrhagica bioaccumulates heavy metals from prey that have accumulated them from microbial mats. This makes the useful for studying in extreme environments.

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