Ropaloteres cinctus (Olivier, 1790)

Serrano, Artur R. M., 2007, Notes on tiger beetles from Guinea-Bissau, with description of a new species of Cylindera Westwood (Insecta: Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) *, Zootaxa 1630, pp. 1-21 : 7

Ropaloteres cinctus (Olivier, 1790)

Geographic distribution: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Togo, Ghana, Benin, Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, People`s Republic of Congo, Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Distribution in Guinea –Bissau: 2, 5, 8, 17, 23, 28, 29, 34, 35, 36, 37A, 37B, 39A, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46.

Specimens sampled: Mampatá-Cumbijã, 29.VI.2006, 2 ɗ, 4 Ψ, 10.VII.2006, 1 ɗ, “DO”, ( AS); Chinchá- Sambel (Saltinho), 30.VI.2006, 1 Ψ, “DO”, ( AS); Chemanara-Mampatá, 3.VII.2006, 3 ɗ, 1 Ψ, “DO”, ( AS); Mampatá-Guilege (River Balana), 3.VII.2006, 3 ɗ, “DO”, ( AS); Buba, 5.VII.2006, 5 ɗ, “DO”, ( AS); Cufada, 5.VII.2006, 4 ɗ, 8.VII.2006, 6ɗ, “DO”, ( AS); Coli (Quebo), 6.VII.2006, 5 ɗ, 2 Ψ, 12.VII.2006, 1 ɗ, 16.VII.2006, 1 ɗ, 2Ψ, “DO”, ( AS); Guilege-Dolo, 11.VII.2006, 4 ɗ, “DO”, ( AS); Buba-Tunani, 15.VII.2006, 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, “DO”, ( AS).

Remarks: A very widespread species throughout western and central Africa, extending to Uganda and Ethiopia. The adults present some variation in colour, with reddish, blackish or green individuals. This is one of the most common species in Guinea-Bissau, occurring near the sea at Casuarina sp. tree stands (e.g. Varela) and inland at shaded clearances, paths, footways of savannahs and forests. The adults are syntopic in many localities with P. concinna cursor and E. festivum .