Tiger Beetles of India

*Neocollyris* (Heterocollyris) Naviaux, 1994 is a subgenus of slender, metallic cicindelids haunting the bark and branches of Oriental forest trees. These elongate hunters, reaching 18 mm, conceal their larvae in bark burrows — a hallmark of arboreal Collyridini life. Around 23 species range across the Oriental region.

Key references:
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — checklist 2. Horn, W. (1901) — original genus 3. Naviaux, R. (multiple papers) — comprehensive Collyridina monographs

*Cylindera* (Eugrapha) Rivalier, 1950 encompasses roughly 30 species distributed across the Palearctic, Afrotropical, and Oriental realms. These slender, metallic beetles measure 7–14 mm and favour open, wet habitats with bare or sandy substrates. Nocturnal hunters, their larvae develop in vertical burrows excavated in sand.

Key references:
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — checklist 2. Westwood, J.O. (1831) — original genus 3. Pearson, D.L. et al. (2015) — Field Guide USA & Canada

*Jansenia* Chaudoir, 1865 is a genus of roughly forty tiger beetle species inhabiting forest floors across South and Southeast Asia, from India and Sri Lanka east through Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan. These beetles favour bare sandy soils, clay-loam banks, and riverine substrates beneath closed canopy, emerging to hunt primarily after dark. Their bodies are depressed and darkly coloured, a form well suited to life close to the ground in dim forest understorey. *Jansenia* remains one of the most species-rich tiger beetle genera endemic to the Oriental region.

Key references:
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — checklist authority 2. Chaudoir, M. de (1865) — original genus description 3. Cassola, F. (multiple papers) — generic revisions

*Calomera* Motschulsky, 1862 is a medium-to-large Old World tiger beetle genus of roughly 40 species, distributed across the Palearctic, Oriental, and Australasian regions. These nocturnal beetles favour open, dry habitats including coastal sandy shores, saltmarsh margins, and riverine sands. Their distinctive elytral maculation of whitish to ivory spots makes them among the more recognisable cicindelids of tidal and estuarine zones.

Key references:
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — checklist 2. Motschulsky, V. (1862) — original genus 3. Pearson, D.L. et al. (2020) — Field Guide India

*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 bare sand, where larvae excavate vertical burrows. Their specialised nocturnal lifestyle sets them apart within the broader *Lophyra* lineage.

Key references:
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — checklist 2. Motschulsky, V. (1859) — original genus 3. Werner, K. (2000) — Tiger Beetles of Africa Vol. 2

*Calochroa* Hope, 1838 is a large Oriental tiger beetle genus of roughly 35 species, recognised by their strikingly brilliant metallic coloration in blues, greens, coppers, and violets. Distributed across South Asia, continental Southeast Asia, and the Sundaland archipelago, these beetles favour open dry habitats and forest-edge clearings on bare soil. Unusually among cicindelines, *Calochroa* species are nocturnal and associated with arboreal bark surfaces, with larvae developing in bark burrows. The genus has been identified as polyphyletic, with lineages allied respectively to *Lophyra* and to *Sophiodela*.

Key references:
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — checklist authority 2. Hope, F.W. (1838) — original genus description 3. Pearson, D.L., Wiesner, J., Uniyal, V.P., Acciavatti, R.E. & Anichtchenko, A. (2020) — Field Guide India — recent revisions

Among Africa's most specialized tiger beetles, *Cicindela* (Austrocicindela) haunts the bark and wood of forest trees rather than open ground — a rare arboreal lifestyle in the family. Nocturnal hunters, their larvae develop in burrows within bark. This small subgenus of four species represents a striking ecological departure from typical cicindelid habits.

Key references:
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — checklist 2. Linnaeus, C. (1758) — original (type genus of family) 3. Pearson, D.L. et al. (2015) — Field Guide USA & Canada

*Therates* Latreille, 1816 comprises around 130 species of diurnal tiger beetles inhabiting moist forests across South and Southeast Asia, from the Sundaland archipelago to the Philippines. These dark, flattened beetles hunt across low vegetation and forest-floor substrates near streams, with larvae developing in soil close to plant bases.

Key references:
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — checklist 2. Latreille, P.A. (1816) — original genus 3. Naviaux, R. (multiple papers) — Therates monographs

*Myriochila* Motschulsky, 1857 is a genus of roughly 30 metallic tiger beetles ranging across the Afrotropical and Oriental regions. These nocturnal hunters patrol bare, moist soils and open wetland margins, their large eyes adapted for low-light pursuit. Larvae develop in vertical burrows excavated into open substrate.

Key references:
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — checklist 2. Motschulsky, V. (1862) — original genus 3. Cassola, F. (multiple papers) — generic revisions