Limestone-habitat
Guides
Cicindelidia politula
Limestone Tiger Beetle
Cicindelidia politula, the Limestone Tiger Beetle, is a species of tiger beetle occurring primarily in Texas with extensions into Oklahoma. Adults are active in late September and October, inhabiting dry to xeric upland areas with exposed limestone outcroppings. The species is closely related to the more widespread Cicindelidia punctulata but is distinguished by its shiny blue-black to black elytra with white markings absent or limited to the apices, and red abdomen. Adults are notably wary and difficult to approach, exhibiting fast escape flights and challenging capture behavior.
Cicindelidia politula petrophila
Limestone Tiger Beetle
Cicindelidia politula petrophila is a subspecies of the Limestone Tiger Beetle, a ground-dwelling beetle found in dry to xeric upland habitats with exposed limestone substrates. Adults are characterized by shiny black to blue-black elytra with white markings absent or limited to the apices, and a red abdomen. The subspecies occurs primarily in Texas and Oklahoma, where it is associated with limestone outcroppings, road banks, and rocky clay areas. Adults are active in late summer and fall, typically emerging in late September. They are extremely wary, fast-flying, and difficult to approach or capture due to their behavior of quickly finding gaps in nets on rough, rocky terrain.
Cicindelidia politula viridimonticola
Limestone Tiger Beetle
Cicindelidia politula viridimonticola is a subspecies of the Limestone Tiger Beetle, a member of the tiger beetle family Cicindelidae. The species C. politula is primarily distributed in Texas and adjacent Oklahoma, where it inhabits dry to xeric upland areas with limestone outcroppings. Adults are typically active beginning in late September. The nominate subspecies C. p. politula is characterized by shiny black to blue-black elytra with white markings absent or limited to the apices, and a red abdomen. The subspecific epithet "viridimonticola" suggests an association with green mountains or hills, though specific distinguishing characters from the nominate subspecies are not detailed in available sources.
Phrynus marginemaculatus
spotted tailless whip scorpion, Florida tailless whipscorpion
Phrynus marginemaculatus is an amblypygid arachnid native to southern Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, and Hispaniola. It is the only amblypygid species in the US east of the Mississippi River and the most commonly studied whip spider species. This nocturnal predator possesses extraordinarily elongated first pair of legs adapted as sensory organs for detecting prey, mates, and environmental features in darkness. The species exhibits complex navigational abilities including multisensory configural learning for shelter recognition, and has evolved a plastron enabling underwater breathing for up to 24 hours.