| Megacephala somalica | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Cicindelidae |
| Genus: | Megacephala |
| Species: | M. somalica |
| Binomial name | |
| Megacephala somalica Basilewsky, 1966 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Megacephala somalica is a species of tiger beetle in the subfamily Cicindelinae that was described by Basilewsky in 1966. [1]
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera, in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 described species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal species; new species are discovered frequently, with estimates suggesting that there are between 0.9 and 2.1 million total species. Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions, they interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops.
Tiger beetles are a family of beetles, Cicindelidae, known for their aggressive predatory habits and running speed. The fastest known species of tiger beetle, Rivacindela hudsoni, can run at a speed of 9 km/h, or about 125 body lengths per second. As of 2005, about 2,600 species and subspecies were known, with the richest diversity in the Oriental (Indo-Malayan) region, followed by the Neotropics. While historically treated as a subfamily of ground beetles (Carabidae) under the name Cicindelinae, several studies since 2020 indicated that they should be treated as a family, the Cicindelidae, which are a sister group to Carabidae within the Adephaga.
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe. As of 2015, it is one of the 10 most species-rich animal families. They belong to the Adephaga. Members of the family are primarily carnivorous, but some members are phytophagous or omnivorous.
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than the beetle's body. In various members of the family, however, the antennae are quite short and such species can be difficult to distinguish from related beetle families such as the Chrysomelidae. The scientific name of this beetle family goes back to a figure from Greek mythology: after an argument with nymphs, the shepherd Cerambus was transformed into a large beetle with horns.
Eype Mouth is a natural break in a line of sea cliffs on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in west Dorset on the south coast of England. The small River Eype drains into the sea at this point. Eype means 'a steep place' in Old English. The village of Eype lies just upstream of the rivermouth, which is reached by a single narrow lane which runs down through Lower Eype to a shingle beach with car park.
The Salt Creek tiger beetle is a critically endangered subspecies of tiger beetle endemic to the saline wetlands of northern Lancaster County, Nebraska, adjacent to and immediately to the north of the city of Lincoln. It is a predatory insect, using its mandibles to catch other insects. The beetle is one of the rarest insects in North America; surveys showed that 194 adults existed in 2009, down from 263 in 2008, and 777 in 2000. However, efforts are continuing to boost the population, which in 2013 numbered 365 beetles: one beetle for each day in a regular year.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a state park in southwestern Utah, United States, located between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab, south and west of U.S. Highway 89 in Kane County. The park features uniquely pink-hued sand dunes located beside red sandstone cliffs.
The six-spotted tiger beetle, also known as the six-spotted green tiger beetle, is a common North American species of Tiger beetles in the Cicindelinae subfamily. It is common in many areas of the states, and is well known. It is recognized for its bright green color and its flight pattern. The beetle is largely harmless to humans and may live as long as three years.
Cicindela, commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodies of water with sandy or occasionally clay soils; they can be found along rivers, sea and lake shores, sand dunes, around dry lakebeds, on clay banks, or woodland paths.
Omus is a genus of tiger beetles, subfamily Cicindelinae. Its members are dark colored, nocturnal, and flightless. All members occur along the west coast of North America.
Amblycheila is a genus of flightless, nocturnal tiger beetles. There are eight species distributed across the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Neocicindela tuberculata is a species of tiger beetle in the family Cicindelidae, endemic to New Zealand. Its common names include common tiger beetle, moeone, and papapa, and in its laval stage penny doctor, butcher boy, kapuku, kui, kurikuri, moeone, and muremure. Neocicindela tuberculata was the first carabid beetle described from New Zealand. The species can run as fast as 5 miles per hour and are considered to be the fastest running beetles. Adult species prefer clay banks in summer and are good predators when in comes to insects.
The mandible of an arthropod is a pair of mouthparts used either for biting or cutting and holding food. Mandibles are often simply called jaws. Mandibles are present in the extant subphyla Myriapoda, Crustacea and Hexapoda. These groups make up the clade Mandibulata, which is currently believed to be the sister group to the rest of arthropods, the clade Arachnomorpha.
The Puritan tiger beetle is a tiger beetle found in North America. Puritan tiger beetles are found in sandy beaches and rocky cliffs along rivers in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Connecticut. Little is known about this species due to its small geographic range and quickly disappearing populations.
Cicindela campestris, commonly called the green tiger beetle, is a widespread Eurasian species of tiger beetle. It is the type species of the large genus Cicindela.
Cylindera is a genus of tiger beetles native to the Palearctic, the Near East and northern Africa. It was a result of the breakup of the Cicindela genus, and the status of Cylindera as a genus or a subgenus of the genus Cicindela is in dispute.
Salpingidae or narrow-waisted bark beetles is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea. The species are small, about 1.5 – 7 mm in length. The family is globally distributed and consists of about 45 genera and 300 species, which are generally found in the temperate regions of both hemispheres. The family is mainly associated with plants as well as with ascomycete and hyphomycete fungi. Some members of the family are associated with unusual habitats, like Aegialites and Antarcticodomus, which are found in coastal areas including the intertidal zone, with former feeding on algae.
Tetracha is a genus of metallic tiger beetles in the family Cicindelidae, formerly treated as a subgenus within the genus Megacephala. Tetracha species are exclusively New World in distribution, while Megacephala are exclusively Old World in distribution. There are ~100 described species in Tetracha.
Habroscelimorpha dorsalis, commonly known as the eastern beach tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Cicindelidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis, commonly known as the Northeastern beach tiger beetle, is the largest subspecies of Eastern beach tiger beetle. In 2012, Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis was reclassified under the name Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis, but the names are used synonymously in recently published literature. Fitting to its name, the Northeastern beach tiger beetle dwells along the U.S. northeast coast in small sand burrows. The beetle is diurnal and can be spotted by its light tan coloring with dark lines and green hues on its thorax and head.