Tiger Beetles of Zimbabwe
Interactive field guide · Cicindelidae · Cicindelidae matrix v54
Zimbabwe holds 100 species of tiger beetle (Cicindelidae), including 1 country endemics ★. 17 genera recorded. Dominant genera: Megacephala (20), Dromica (19), Ophryodera (12), Lophyra (8).
Habitats: open sandy (58) · coastal (36) · forest (3) · riverine (3)
Iconic species of Zimbabwe
Regalis 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…
| Genus | Spp. | Traits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megacephala | 20 | coastal Metallic | DIAGNOSIS — *Megacephala* Latreille, 1802. Body 15–25 mm; head markedly enlarged, broader than pronotum; color bright me… |
| Dromica | 19 | open sandy Aposematic | DIAGNOSIS — *Dromica* (Pseudodromica) Cassola, 2002. Body 8–18 mm, metallic, oval; labrum transverse; wings dimorphic; ♂… |
| Ophryodera | 12 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Ophryodera* Chaudoir, 1860. Body medium, 15–22 mm, oval; L:W ratio 2–3. Coloration metallic with pale elytr… |
| Lophyra | 8 | coastal Iridescent | DIAGNOSIS — *Lophyra* (Spilodella) Matalin & Cherkasov, 2004. Body 9–12 mm, cylindrical; metallic with pale spots; noctu… |
| Pseudodromica | 7 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Pseudodromica* Cassola, 2002. Body large, 8–30 mm; shape oval; L:W ratio 2–3. Coloration strongly metallic.… |
| Ropaloteres | 7 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Ropaloteres* Guérin-Méneville, 1849. Body 10–18 mm, cylindrical, elongate-cursorial. Coloration metallic (b… |
| Manticora | 6 | open sandy Aposematic flightless | DIAGNOSIS — *Manticora* Fabricius, 1792. Body massive, 40–65+ mm, depressed; L:W ratio <2.0. Dorsum entirely matte black… |
| Myriochila | 4 | coastal | DIAGNOSIS — *Myriochila* Motschulsky, 1857. Body 8–14 mm, elongate, metallic; eyes large, prominent; labrum transverse; … |
| Cylindera | 3 | coastal Iridescent | DIAGNOSIS — *Cylindera* (Eugrapha) Rivalier, 1950. Body 7–14 mm, elongate-cylindrical, metallic. Nocturnal; bare sandy s… |
| Elliptica | 3 | forest | DIAGNOSIS — *Elliptica* Fairmaire, 1884 Body 10–18 mm, cylindrical, oval-shouldered; L:W ratio 2–3. Coloration metallic… |
| Prothymidia | 3 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Prothymidia* Rivalier, 1957. Body 10–16 mm, oval (L:W <2.0), fully winged. Coloration metallic. Eyes large,… |
| Habrodera | 2 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Habrodera* Motschulsky, 1862. Body 11–16 mm, elongate-cylindrical, dark and matte. Head wider than pronotum… |
| Chaetodera | 2 | riverine | DIAGNOSIS — *Chaetodera* Jeannel, 1946. Body 12–20 mm, metallic with pale spots, cylindrical (L:W ratio 2–3). Head inclu… |
| Cicindela | 1 | coastal Iridescent | DIAGNOSIS — *Cicindela* (Austrocicindela) Rivalier, 1963. Body ~14 mm, depressed; dark/matte; nocturnal; arboreal on bar… |
| Euzona | 1 | riverine | DIAGNOSIS — *Euzona* Rivalier, 1963. Body medium (8–16 mm), cylindrical, elongate; fully winged. Coloration metallic. La… |
| Neochila | 1 | open sandy | DIAGNOSIS — *Neochila* Basilewsky, 1953. Length 7.1–13 mm. Elongate, parallel-sided, depressed; black to bluish-green or… |
| Phyllodroma | 1 | open sandy flightless | DIAGNOSIS — *Phyllodroma* Lacordaire, 1843. Body 9–13 mm, elongate-cylindrical, metallic with spots. Eyes medium. Labrum… |
| Taxon | Authority | Flight | Distribution | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaetodera regalis regalis | (Bates, 1892) | |||
| Chaetodera regalis veneranda
= Cicindela vigintiguttata (Bates, 1892) [basionym]
|
Moravec, 2007 | |||
| Cicindela gemmifera | Bates, 1878 | |||
| Cylindera macilenta | (Bates, 1867) | Northern | ||
| Cylindera octoguttata octoguttata
= Cicindela paeninsularis (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
(Bates, 1892) | North-West | ||
| Cylindera ritsemai
= Cicindela sinuosa (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
Wiesner, 2016 | East | ||
| Dromica angusticollis | Péringuey, 1894 | Central | ||
| Dromica aspera | Chaudoir, 1883 | Omaheke | ||
| Dromica bilunata | Dohm, 1883 | Mashonaland West | ||
| Dromica concinna | Cassola, 2002 | Matabeleland South | ||
| Dromica consimilis | Bertoloni, 1858 | Limpopo | ||
| Dromica dolosa dolosa | Péringuey, 1894 | Mashonaland West | ||
| Dromica dolosa latepolita | Schüle, 2011 | |||
| Dromica flavovittata | W. Horn, 1896 | Central | ||
| Dromica gloriosa | Péringuey, 1896 | Matabeleland North | ||
| Dromica jordani | W. Horn, 1899 | Niassa | ||
| Dromica laticollis | Cassola, 2002 | Northern | ||
| Dromica pentheri | Cassola, 2002 | Ohangwena | ||
| Dromica prolongata | Cassola, 2002 | Manicaland | ||
| Dromica pseudocoarctata | Cassola, 2002 | Manicaland | ||
| Dromica spectabilis ritsemae | W. Horn, 1897 | Southern | ||
| Dromica spectabilis sheppardi | W. Horn, 1907 | Southern | ||
| Dromica spectabilis spectabilis | Péringuey, 1893 | Southern | ||
| Dromica tenella | Péringuey, 1888 | Manicaland | ||
| Dromica werneri | Cassola, 2002 | Western | ||
| Elliptica compressicornis compressicornis | (Bates, 1878) | Katanga | ||
| Elliptica compressicornis persignata
= Cicindela deyrollei deyrollei (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2001 | Katanga | ||
| Elliptica transversefasciata
= Cicindela denticollis (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2001 | Katanga | ||
| Euzona cyanonota | (Bates, 1892) | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Habrodera capensis capensis | (Bates, 1878) | Western Cape | ||
| Habrodera nilotica nilotica | Werner, 1999 | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Lophyra bertolonia | (Bates, 1878) | East Caprivi | ||
| Lophyra differens | (Bates, 1878) | Limpopo | ||
| Lophyra mashuna
= Cicindela miskelliana (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2000 | |||
| Lophyra reliqua | (Bates, 1878) | Kassai | ||
| Lophyra saraliensis livingstoni | Werner, 2000 | |||
| Lophyra saraliensis miskelli
= Cicindela saraliensis saraliensis (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2000 | |||
| Lophyra saraliensis saraliensis | (Bates, 1878) | |||
| Lophyra vivida | (Bates, 1878) | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Manticora holubi cunenensis | Péringuey, 1888 | |||
| Manticora holubi holubi | Péringuey, 1888 | |||
| Manticora imperator barksdalei | Cassola, 2003 | |||
| Manticora latipennis
= Cicindela livingstoni (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Waterhouse, 1900 | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Manticora mygaloides | (Bates, 1878) | Limpopo | ||
| Manticora scabra
= Cicindela sichelii (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Péringuey, 1888 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala asperata asperata | (Erichson, 1843) | East Caprivi | ||
| Megacephala asperata breviformis | Werner, 2003 | East Caprivi | ||
| Megacephala asperata dodsi | Werner, 2003 | Katanga | ||
| Megacephala asperata kaswabilengae | Werner, 2003 | East Caprivi | ||
| Megacephala asperata overlaeti | Werner, 2003 | East Caprivi | ||
| Megacephala asperata seydeli | Werner, 2003 | East Caprivi | ||
| Megacephala asperata upembana | Werner, 2003 | East Caprivi | ||
| Megacephala regalis angulicollis | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala regalis atrospinosa | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala regalis bennigseni | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala regalis citernii | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala regalis hauseri | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala regalis katangana | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala regalis oscari | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala regalis peringueyi
= Cicindela regalis regalis (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala regalis revoili | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo ★ | ||
| Megacephala regalis sebakuana | Werner, 2003 | |||
| Megacephala regalis serratosetosa | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala regalis vansoni | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Megacephala regalis xerophila | Werner, 2003 | Limpopo | ||
| Myriochila confluentesubtilis | Werner, 2020 | |||
| Myriochila georgwerneri | Werner, 1999 | |||
| Myriochila jucunda | (Bates, 1878) | Groottenfein | ||
| Myriochila moseri | Werner, 1999 | Gauteng | ||
| Neochila katangana katangana | Werner, 2001 | Katanga | ||
| Ophryodera foliicornis foliicornis
= Cicindela foliicornis trimaculata (Bates, 1874) [basionym]
|
(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) | |||
| Ophryodera rusticana egregior
= Cicindela rusticana rusticana (Bates, 1892) [basionym]
|
Wiesner, 2011 | Limpopo | ||
| Ophryodera rusticana rusticana | (Bates, 1892) | Limpopo | ||
| Phyllodroma luteamaculata | (Bates, 1869) | |||
| Prothymidia angusticollis abyssiniensis
= Cicindela angusticollis angusticollis (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Werner, 1999 | |||
| Prothymidia angusticollis angusticollis | (Bates, 1878) | |||
| Prothymidia angusticollis itombwensis
= Cicindela foveicollis (Bates, 1892) [basionym]
|
Werner, 1999 | |||
| Pseudodromica formosa | Serrano & Cape, 2020 | Mashonaland West | ||
| Pseudodromica grandis | Serrano & Cape, 2020 | Mashonaland West | ||
| Pseudodromica invicta | Serrano & Cape, 2020 | Mashonaland East | ||
| Pseudodromica marshallana | Serrano & Cape, 2020 | Midlands | ||
| Pseudodromica marshalli | Serrano & Cape, 2020 | |||
| Pseudodromica mauchii mauchii | W. Horn, 1897 | Western Cape | ||
| Pseudodromica mauchii purpurascens | Péringuey, 1893 | |||
| Ropaloteres fatidicus fatidicus | (Bates, 1878) | |||
| Ropaloteres fatidicus inrostratus | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | |||
| Ropaloteres fatidicus shabensis
= Cicindela feisthamelii (Bates, 1878) [basionym]
|
Cassola & Werner, 2000 | |||
| Ropaloteres juno | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | |||
| Ropaloteres leucopictus leucopictus | (Bates, 1878) | East | ||
| Ropaloteres marshalli | Cassola & Werner, 2000 | Katanga | ||
| Ropaloteres mimula | Cassola & Werner, 2000 |
Unlock Country Field Guide — Zimbabwe
Key to genera · 100 species accounts · Annotated checklist · Printable field cards
€19 (100+ species)
Monograph €79 includes all 98 Country Field Guides