Turret-building-larvae
Guides
Cicindela willistoni
Williston's Tiger Beetle
Cicindela willistoni is a tiger beetle restricted to saline and alkali flats in the southwestern United States. Adults and larvae occur on open, sparsely vegetated salt flats where they occupy distinct microhabitats. The larvae construct unique chimney-like turrets above their burrow entrances, an adaptation that facilitates thermoregulation and prey attraction. Adult emergence is triggered by summer monsoonal rains, resulting in a relatively short active season.