Description ³

Ivory-colored wings and swirling black markings distinguish this rare beach species. Habroscelimorpha dorsalis is listed as "Endangered" under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act, and our local subspecies, H. d. dorsalis, is listed as "Threatened" under the Federal Endangered Species Act. This beetle is vulnerable to disturbance of feeding adults and trampling of larval burrows and should never be disturbed or collected without appropriate permits. Locations for this species should not be publicized. This is a beach-dwelling species with a limited distribution on Martha's Vineyard. While this is a distinctive beetle, its distribution on the Vineyard overlaps with the much more common Cicindela hirticollis, so you cannot assume that any tiger beetle on an ocean beach is H. dorsalis.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Sean McCann, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/25449831@N00/220304969
2. (c) Matt Pelikan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Pelikan
3. (c) Matt Pelikan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0

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