Clay-habitat
Guides
Cicindela tranquebarica diffracta
Diffracted Tiger Beetle
Cicindela tranquebarica diffracta is a subspecies of the oblique-lined tiger beetle, distinguished from the nominate form by more diffused and broken elytral maculations. It occurs in sandy and clay soils across the Great Plains and western North America. Like other members of the C. tranquebarica complex, it is a spring-fall active species with larvae that construct typical tiger beetle burrows in appropriate substrates.
Cicindela tranquebarica parallelonota
Opal Tiger Beetle
Cicindela tranquebarica parallelonota is a subspecies of the oblique-lined tiger beetle, commonly known as the Opal Tiger Beetle. It belongs to the tiger beetle subfamily Cicindelinae within the ground beetle family Carabidae. The species exhibits spring-fall adult activity, with larvae developing in burrows during summer months. Adults are known for their fast running speed and predatory habits, though specific distinguishing features of this subspecies relative to other C. tranquebarica subspecies require careful examination of elytral maculation patterns.
Dromochorus pruininus
Frosted Dromo Tiger Beetle
Dromochorus pruininus is a small, flightless tiger beetle with a highly restricted and disjunct distribution across the south-central United States. The species inhabits exposed clay and gypsum slopes with sparse vegetation, where it runs swiftly between grass clumps to escape detection. Long considered a synonym of D. belfragei, it was reinstated as a valid species based on smooth elytra contrasting with the granulated surface of its congener. The species exhibits crepuscular activity patterns and remains one of North America's most poorly known tiger beetles, with larvae described only in 2008.