Spring-fall-life-history
Guides
Cicindela formosa formosa
big sand tiger beetle
Cicindela formosa formosa is the nominate subspecies of the big sand tiger beetle, occurring in the Great Plains region of North America. It is a large, robust tiger beetle adapted to deep, dry sand habitats. Adults exhibit a spring/fall activity pattern, overwintering in burrows. The subspecies is distinguished from related taxa by its "C"-shaped humeral markings and bulkier body form compared to similar species like C. lengi.
Cicindela purpurea hatchi
Hatch's Tiger Beetle
Cicindela purpurea hatchi is a subspecies of the purple tiger beetle endemic to western North America, particularly in intergrade zones with the nominate subspecies in the Great Basin and Rocky Mountain regions. Adults exhibit the characteristic spring-fall life history of the Cicindela purpurea complex, emerging in fall as sexually immature adults, overwintering in burrows, and re-emerging in spring to mate and oviposit. The subspecies shows color polymorphism including green and black morphs, with black morphs occurring at lower frequency than in the nominate subspecies C. p. audubonii.