Tiger Beetles of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Interactive field guide · Cicindelidae · Cicindelidae matrix v54
Democratic Republic of the Congo holds 90 species of tiger beetle (Cicindelidae), including 5 country endemics ★. 20 genera recorded. Dominant genera: Elliptica (12), Ropaloteres (12), Ophryodera (11), Bennigsenium (8).
Habitats: open sandy (53) · coastal (17) · forest (12) · riverine (4)
Iconic species of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Yellow-winged Tiger Beetle
*Lophyra* (Spilodella) is a small Oriental subgenus of tiger beetles haunting open, wet sandy habitats under cover of darkness. These metallic, spot-patterned beetles measure 9–12 mm and are tied to b…
| Genus | Spp. | Traits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elliptica | 12 | forest | DIAGNOSIS — *Elliptica* Fairmaire, 1884 Body 10–18 mm, cylindrical, oval-shouldered; L:W ratio 2–3. Coloration metallic… |
| Ropaloteres | 12 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Ropaloteres* Guérin-Méneville, 1849. Body 10–18 mm, cylindrical, elongate-cursorial. Coloration metallic (b… |
| Ophryodera | 11 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Ophryodera* Chaudoir, 1860. Body medium, 15–22 mm, oval; L:W ratio 2–3. Coloration metallic with pale elytr… |
| Bennigsenium | 8 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Bennigsenium* W.Horn, 1897 Body medium, 10–20 mm (key character ca. 15 mm), elongate, cylindrical; L:W rati… |
| Prothyma | 7 | coastal Iridescent | DIAGNOSIS — *Prothyma* (Pseudodistypsidera) W. Horn, 1934. Body 10–16 mm, metallic, cylindrical; fully winged; diurnal; … |
| Hipparidium | 5 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Hipparidium* Jeannel, 1946. Body large, 12–20 mm, cylindrical (L:W ratio 2–3), dark/matte. Fully winged. Ey… |
| Neochila | 5 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Neochila* Basilewsky, 1953. Length 7.1–13 mm. Elongate, parallel-sided, depressed; black to bluish-green or… |
| Cylindera | 4 | coastal Iridescent | DIAGNOSIS — *Cylindera* (Eugrapha) Rivalier, 1950. Body 7–14 mm, elongate-cylindrical, metallic. Nocturnal; bare sandy s… |
| Dromica | 4 | open sandy Aposematic | DIAGNOSIS — *Dromica* (Pseudodromica) Cassola, 2002. Body 8–18 mm, metallic, oval; labrum transverse; wings dimorphic; ♂… |
| Enantiola | 4 | riverine | DIAGNOSIS — *Enantiola* Rivalier, 1961. Body small, 8–14 mm, elongate-cylindrical. Head wider than pronotum; eyes large,… |
| Lophyra | 4 | coastal Iridescent | DIAGNOSIS — *Lophyra* (Spilodella) Matalin & Cherkasov, 2004. Body 9–12 mm, cylindrical; metallic with pale spots; noctu… |
| Habrodera | 3 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Habrodera* Motschulsky, 1862. Body 11–16 mm, elongate-cylindrical, dark and matte. Head wider than pronotum… |
| Oxygonia | 3 | other | DIAGNOSIS — *Oxygonia* Mannerheim, 1837. Body 9–14 mm, ovate; L:W ratio 2–3. Coloration metallic with pale elytral spots… |
| Prothymidia | 2 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Prothymidia* Rivalier, 1957. Body 10–16 mm, oval (L:W <2.0), fully winged. Coloration metallic. Eyes large,… |
| Cratohaerea | 1 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Cratohaerea* Chaudoir, 1850. Body small, 10–16 mm, elongate-cylindrical; length-to-width ratio 2–3. Colorat… |
| Megacephala | 1 | coastal Metallic | DIAGNOSIS — *Megacephala* Latreille, 1802. Body 15–25 mm; head markedly enlarged, broader than pronotum; color bright me… |
| Myriochila | 1 | coastal | DIAGNOSIS — *Myriochila* Motschulsky, 1857. Body 8–14 mm, elongate, metallic; eyes large, prominent; labrum transverse; … |
| Paraphysodeutera | 1 | other | DIAGNOSIS — *Paraphysodeutera* Moravec, 2002. Body 10–12 mm, oval, metallic. Fully winged. Labrum transverse. Eyes mediu… |
| Pseudodromica | 1 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Pseudodromica* Cassola, 2002. Body large, 8–30 mm; shape oval; L:W ratio 2–3. Coloration strongly metallic.… |
| Trichotaenia | 1 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Trichotaenia* Rivalier, 1957. Body 10–18 mm, depressed/flattened (L:W 2–3); coloration dark, matte; fully w… |
| Taxon | Authority | Flight | Distribution | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennigsenium bodongi | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Bennigsenium cosmemoides | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Bennigsenium discoscriptum | Werner, 2001 | ★ | ||
| Bennigsenium grossesculptum | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Bennigsenium grossumbreve | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Bennigsenium ismenioides | Werner, 2001 | ★ | ||
| Bennigsenium kakonkianum | Werner, 2001 | Kivu | ||
| Bennigsenium unciferum
= Cicindela bianconii bianconii (Chaudoir, 1850) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2001 | |||
| Cratohaerea brunet
= Cicindela confusa (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1878) | |||
| Cylindera albosignata
= Cicindela aurosternalis (Bates, 1867) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1867) | East Caprivi | ||
| Cylindera collicia
= Cicindela constricticollis (Bates, 1867) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1867) | Katanga | ||
| Cylindera labioaenea fuscocuprascens
= Cicindela labioaenea labioaenea (Bates, 1867) [basionym]
|
Wiesner, 2009 | |||
| Cylindera labioaenea labioaenea
= Cicindela lesnei (Fleutiaux, 1901) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1867) | |||
| Dromica bicostulata | W. Horn, 1925 | |||
| Dromica laterodeclivis | W. Horn, 1929 | |||
| Dromica monforti | Schüle, 2021 | ★ | ||
| Dromica nicolae | Schüle, 2021 | |||
| Elliptica compressicornis compressicornis | (Bates, 1878) | Katanga | ||
| Elliptica compressicornis persignata
= Cicindela deyrollei deyrollei (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2001 | Katanga | ||
| Elliptica dispersesignata | Werner, 2001 | Gulu | ||
| Elliptica flavovestita | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Elliptica kikondjae | Werner, 2001 | Kikondjia | ||
| Elliptica laticornis disperseflavescens | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Elliptica laticornis irregularis
= Cicindela laticornis laticornis (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2001 | |||
| Elliptica laticornis laticornis | (Bates, 1878) | |||
| Elliptica longestriata katangana | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Elliptica longestriata longestriata
= Cicindela lugubris (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2001 | |||
| Elliptica muata muata | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Elliptica muata parallelestriata | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Enantiola denticollis
= Cicindela hewittii (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1874) | Sulawesi | ||
| Enantiola hewittii
= Cicindela spinicollis (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1874) | Malacca | ||
| Enantiola spinicollis
= Cicindela wallacei (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1874) | Sabah | ||
| Enantiola wallacei | (Bates, 1874) | Sulawesi | ||
| Habrodera leucoptera cabinda
= Cicindela leucoptera leucoptera (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1878) | |||
| Habrodera nilotica nilotica | Werner, 1999 | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Habrodera nitidula nitidula | (Bates, 1878) | |||
| Hipparidium caternaulti | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Hipparidium clavator | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Hipparidium interruptum | (Bates, 1878) | ★ | ||
| Hipparidium kassaica | Werner, 2001 | Katanga | ||
| Hipparidium macrochilum
= Cicindela micheli (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2001 | |||
| Lophyra flavipennis | (Klug, 1832) | |||
| Lophyra obliquograciliaenea | Werner, 2000 | |||
| Lophyra reliqua | (Bates, 1878) | Kassai | ||
| Lophyra senegalensis | (Dejean, 1826) | Yalinga | ||
| Megacephala laevicollis ruziziana
= Cicindela megacephala (Fabricius, 1801) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2003 | Kivu | ||
| Myriochila nudopectoralis
= Cicindela orientalis (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
Werner, 1999 | |||
| Neochila apicenitens | Werner, 2001 | ★ | ||
| Neochila baderlei | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Neochila congoana | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Neochila hassoni | Werner, 2001 | |||
| Neochila katangana katangana | Werner, 2001 | Katanga | ||
| Ophryodera foliicornis foliicornis
= Cicindela foliicornis trimaculata (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1874) | |||
| Ophryodera foliicornis trimaculata | (Bates, 1874) | |||
| Ophryodera rufomarginata bohemani
= Cicindela rufomarginata bradshawi (Bates, 1892) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1874) | |||
| Ophryodera rufomarginata bradshawi | (Bates, 1892) | |||
| Ophryodera rufomarginata circumcinctoides | Wiesner, 2011 | |||
| Ophryodera rufomarginata distanti | Wiesner, 2011 | |||
| Ophryodera rufomarginata maculatovittata | Wiesner, 2011 | |||
| Ophryodera rufomarginata oberthueri | Wiesner, 2011 | |||
| Ophryodera rufomarginata poggei | Wiesner, 2011 | |||
| Ophryodera rufomarginata richteri
= Cicindela rufomarginata rufomarginata (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
Wiesner, 2011 | |||
| Ophryodera rufomarginata rufomarginata | (Bates, 1874) | |||
| Oxygonia moreti
= Cicindela moronensis (Bates, 1881) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1881) | |||
| Oxygonia moronensis
= Cicindela nigricans (Bates, 1881) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1881) | Kivu | ||
| Oxygonia vuillefroyi | (Bates, 1881) | |||
| Paraphysodeutera naviauxi | (Bates, 1878) | |||
| Prothyma bordonii
= Cicindela bottegoi (Bates, 1892) [basionym]
|
Wiesner, 2004 | |||
| Prothyma bottegoi | (Bates, 1892) | |||
| Prothyma discretepunctata | (Bates, 1892) | Katanga | ||
| Prothyma leprieurii leprieurii | Dejean, 1831 | |||
| Prothyma quadripustulata
= Cicindela radama (Bates, 1892) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1892) | East Caprivi | ||
| Prothyma schultzei | (Bates, 1892) | Katanga | ||
| Prothyma scrobiculata | (Bates, 1892) | Katanga | ||
| Prothymidia gemmiprivata
= Cicindela kehmiini (Bates, 1892) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1892) | |||
| Prothymidia putzeysi
= Cicindela sibyllae (Bates, 1892) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1892) | |||
| Pseudodromica neavei pseudosetosula | Cassola and Miskell, 2001 | |||
| Ropaloteres bouyeri | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | Katanga | ||
| Ropaloteres brazzai
= Cicindela cinctus (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Cassola & Werner, 2000 | |||
| Ropaloteres cinctus
= Cicindela congoensis congoensis (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1878) | |||
| Ropaloteres congoensis congoensis | (Bates, 1878) | |||
| Ropaloteres congoensis phyleticus | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | |||
| Ropaloteres flavosignatus cupreoreductulus | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | |||
| Ropaloteres flavosignatus flavoreductus
= Cicindela flavosignatus flavosignatus (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Cassola & Werner, 2000 | |||
| Ropaloteres flavosignatus flavosignatus | (Bates, 1878) | |||
| Ropaloteres juno | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | |||
| Ropaloteres marshalli | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | Katanga | ||
| Ropaloteres mimula | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | |||
| Ropaloteres regina | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | Kasai | ||
| Trichotaenia pseudotereticollis | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | Katanga |
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