Tiger Beetles of Somalia
Interactive field guide · Cicindelidae · Cicindelidae matrix v54
21
Species
2
Endemics ★
9
Genera
Jun
Peak season
Somalia holds 21 species of tiger beetle (Cicindelidae), including 2 country endemics ★. 9 genera recorded. Dominant genera: Calomera (7), Lophyra (5), Dromica (2), Megacephala (2).
Habitats: coastal (16) · open sandy (4) · saline (1)
2
Nocturnal
9
Genera
Jun
Peak month
Iconic species of Somalia
Megacephala somalica somalica
Somalica Tiger Beetle
*Megacephala* Latreille, 1802 is a robust Afrotropical tiger beetle genus whose broad, enlarged head is wider than the pronotum — the source of its name. Active after dark on bare or sandy soils, thes…
Metallic
14–35 mm
21 species
What to expect: Peak activity in June. Dominant habitats: coastal (16) · open sandy (4) · saline (1).
| Genus | Spp. | Traits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calomera | 7 | coastal Iridescent | DIAGNOSIS — *Calomera* Motschulsky, 1862. 8–18 mm; genae densely long-setose; sterna setose; elytra with whitish/ivory t… |
| Lophyra | 5 | coastal Iridescent | DIAGNOSIS — *Lophyra* (Spilodella) Matalin & Cherkasov, 2004. Body 9–12 mm, cylindrical; metallic with pale spots; noctu… |
| Dromica | 2 | open sandy Aposematic | DIAGNOSIS — *Dromica* (Pseudodromica) Cassola, 2002. Body 8–18 mm, metallic, oval; labrum transverse; wings dimorphic; ♂… |
| Megacephala | 2 | coastal Metallic | DIAGNOSIS — *Megacephala* Latreille, 1802. Body 15–25 mm; head markedly enlarged, broader than pronotum; color bright me… |
| Cephalota | 1 | saline | DIAGNOSIS — *Cephalota* Dokhtouroff, 1883 (s.str.) Body 10–16 mm, oval, L:W ratio 2–3. Coloration dark, matte, without c… |
| Euryarthron | 1 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Euryarthron* Guérin-Méneville, 1849. Body 10–18 mm, elongate-cylindrical; L:W ratio 2–3. Coloration metalli… |
| Habrodera | 1 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Habrodera* Motschulsky, 1862. Body 11–16 mm, elongate-cylindrical, dark and matte. Head wider than pronotum… |
| Myriochila | 1 | coastal | DIAGNOSIS — *Myriochila* Motschulsky, 1857. Body 8–14 mm, elongate, metallic; eyes large, prominent; labrum transverse; … |
| Prothyma | 1 | coastal Iridescent | DIAGNOSIS — *Prothyma* (Pseudodistypsidera) W. Horn, 1934. Body 10–16 mm, metallic, cylindrical; fully winged; diurnal; … |
Calomera alboguttata alboguttata
(Herbst, 1806) · 8–18 mm
coastal
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
cf. Myriochila Salpingophora Socotrana
coastal
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
cf. Calochroa Cosmodela Jundlandia
Calomera aulica aulica
(Dejean, 1825) · 8–18 mm
coastal
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
S Pelopones, Baluchistan, Sind, Gujarat, Cacheu, Oio, North Eastern
Calomera aulica cupraria
(Bates, 1874) · 8–18 mm
coastal★ endemic
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
Calomera aulica cyanicolor
(Bates, 1874) · 8–18 mm
coastal
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
Berbera, Carin
coastal
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
cf. Hypaetha Lophyra Myriochila
coastal
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
saline
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
cf. Apterodela Calochroa Calomera
open sandy
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
Benadir
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
Dromica somalica
Cassola, 2002 · 8–30 mm
open sandy
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
Benadir
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
Euryarthron revoili
(Bates, 1878) · 10–18 mm
open sandy
Active October–April (peak Jan–Nov)
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
Habrodera nilotica nilotica
Werner, 1999 · 11–16 mm
open sandy
Active March–July (peak Apr–Jun)
KwaZulu-Natal
cf. Myriochila Salpingophora Socotrana
Lophyra canaliculata
(Bates, 1878) · 9–16 mm
coastal
Active June–October (peak Jul–Aug)
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
coastal
Active October–April (peak Jan–Nov)
Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Venda, Grootfontein, East
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
coastal
Active October–April (peak Jan–Nov)
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
Lophyra praetermissa
Werner, 2000 · 9–16 mm
coastal
Active June–October (peak Jul–Aug)
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
coastal
Active June–October (peak Jul–Aug)
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
coastal★ endemic
Active June–October (peak Jul–Aug)
cf. Phaeoxantha Pseudotetracha Tetracha
coastal
Active October–April (peak Jan–Nov)
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
coastal
Active April–September (peak May–Aug)
cf. Calochroa Calomera Cosmodela
Prothyma bottegoi
(Bates, 1892) · 10–18 mm
coastal
Active April–September (peak May–Jul)
cf. Ambalia Bennigsenium Calyptoglossa
| Taxon | Authority | Flight | Distribution | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calomera alboguttata alboguttata
= Cicindela alboguttata viridinitida (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
(Herbst, 1806) | |||
| Calomera alboguttata viridinitida
= Cicindela angulata angulata (Fabricius, 1787) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1874) | |||
| Calomera aulica aulica
= Cicindela aulica cupraria (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
(Dejean, 1825) | S Pelopones | ||
| Calomera aulica cupraria
= Cicindela aulica cyanicolor (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1874) | ★ | ||
| Calomera aulica cyanicolor
= Cicindela aulica polysita (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1874) | Berbera | ||
| Calomera fimbriata abyssinica
= Cicindela fimbriata fimbriata (Klug, 1832) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1878) | |||
| Calomera fimbriata fimbriata
= Cicindela fimbriata imperatrix (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
(Klug, 1832) | |||
| Cephalota vonderdeckeni
= Cicindela zarudniana (Tschitschérin, 1903) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1878) | |||
| Dromica abukari | Cassola, 1989 | Benadir | ||
| Dromica somalica | Cassola, 2002 | Benadir | ||
| Euryarthron revoili | (Bates, 1878) | |||
| Habrodera nilotica nilotica | Werner, 1999 | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Lophyra canaliculata
= Cicindela flavipennis (Klug, 1832) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1878) | |||
| Lophyra differens | (Bates, 1878) | Limpopo | ||
| Lophyra infuscatula
= Cicindela luxerii (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2000 | |||
| Lophyra praetermissa | Werner, 2000 | |||
| Lophyra sumlini
= Cicindela uncivittata (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2000 | |||
| Megacephala somalica cassolai
= Cicindela somalica somalica (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2003 | ★ | ||
| Megacephala somalica somalica | (Bates, 1878) | |||
| Myriochila sericeolongicornis | Werner, 1999 | |||
| Prothyma bottegoi | (Bates, 1892) |