Cicindela obsoleta obsoleta Say

Mawdsley, Jonathan R., 2009, Geographic variation in U. S. populations of the tiger beetle Cicindela obsoleta Say (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (94), pp. 1-10 : 5-6

Cicindela obsoleta obsoleta Say

Figure 1-3

Cicindela obsoleta Say (1823: 143) Type destroyed, but identity well established.

Cicindela prasina LeConte (1860: 31) Syntype male in MCZC, labeled with green disk, red and white label “Type 33”, and handwritten J. L. LeConte label “ C. prasina / Lec.”, MCZ type # 33 (examined).

Diagnosis. A very large, uniformly green, black, or brown tiger beetle found in dry grasslands across the south-central United States. This subspecies usually lacks white or yellow markings but may have up to four small, round white or yellow maculae on each elytron ( Kippenhan 1994).

Notes. Say’s original published description refers to the black color morph of this subspecies while LeConte’s description of C. prasina refers to the green color morph. Both forms are found in populations of this species from the high plains of the central United States, although the black forms predominate towards the northern limits of the species’ range ( Kippenhan 1994).

Material examined. 426 adult specimens from the following localities. AZ: Apache Co., White Mountains; Coconino Co., 26 miles E Flagstaff. CO: Alamosa Co., Alamosa; Arapahoe Co., Cherry Creek Reservoir; Baca Co., Carrizo Creek Picnic Area, Carrizo Picnic Area, Picture Canyon Picnic Area; El Paso Co., 10 miles S Colorado Springs, Camp Carson, I-25 Exit 119; Fremont Co., 6.5 km NE Canon City, Canon City, Florence; Huerfano Co., Walsenburg; Otero Co., La Junta; Pueblo Co., Pueblo. KS: Douglas Co.; Grant Co.; Hamilton Co.; Meade Co.; Morgan Co. NM: Colfax Co., 5 miles SE Maxwell, Clayton, Koehler, Koehler Junction, Maxwell, Raton Pass; Curry Co., Clovis; Dona Ana Co., Las Cruces, Radium Springs; Grant Co., Santa Clara, Silver City; Guadalupe Co., I-40 6 miles E Santa Rosa; Lincoln Co., 30 miles N Capitan, 40 miles E Corona, Lincoln; Luna Co.; Mora Co., Optimo; Quay Co., 1 mile NE Tucumcari, 1.7 miles E Tucumcari, 2 miles E Tucumcari, 2.2 miles E and 1.2 miles N Tucumcari, Tucumcari; San Miguel Co., 8 miles SE Trujillo, Las Vegas; Santa Fe Co., 1 mile S junction NM 344 and 372, 2.7 miles N Moriarty. OK: Cimarron Co., 3 miles N Kenton. TX: Blanco Co., 5 miles W Cypress Mills, Cypress Mills; Brewster Co., Alpine; Hemphill Co., Canadian; Jeff Davis Co., Davis Mountains, 6.5 miles W Fort Davis, 18 miles W Fort Davis, Nunn Hill; Gray Co., Pampa; Midland Co., Midland; Parmer Co., 10 miles N Friona; Pecos Co., 8 miles E Fort Stockton; Potter Co., Amarillo; Presidio Co., Marfa; Yoakum Co., Bronco.

Figures

Figure 1-9. Adult habitus photographs of pinned specimens of Cicindela obsoleta in NMNH. 1) Cicindela obsoleta obsoleta Say, male, Silver City, NM. 2) Cicindela obsoleta obsoleta, female, Carrizo Creek Picnic Area, Baca Co., CO. 3) Cicindela obsoleta obsoleta, male, Silver City, NM. 4) Cicindela obsoleta obsoleta X Cicindela obsoleta santaclarae, female, Silver City, NM. 5) Cicindela obsoleta santaclarae Bates, syntype female, Santa Clara, Chihuahua, México. 6) Cicindela obsoleta santaclarae, male, Ft. Wingate, NM. 7) Cicindela obsoleta santaclarae, female, Ft. Wingate, NM. 8) Cicindela obsoleta santaclarae, female, Ft. Wingate, NM. 9) Cicindela obsoleta santaclarae, male, Ft. Wingate, NM.