Genus
Cenothyla
8 species
Deep in the riverine forests and open sandy margins of Amazonia, *Cenothyla* Rivalier, 1969 represents one of the lesser-known treasures of Neotropical tiger beetle diversity. This small genus of eight species haunts bare soil habitats by night, its metallic elytra marked with pale spots catching little light in the darkness. Distributed across the Amazon basin and Guiana Shield, *Cenothyla* ranges through Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, and Bolivia. Its distinctive ivory labrum in both sexes sets it apart at a glance from its Odontocheilina relatives.
Diagnosis
DIAGNOSIS — *Cenothyla* Rivalier, 1969. Body 9–13 mm, oval, L:W ratio 2–3; fully winged. Coloration metallic with pale spot maculation. Eyes medium. Labrum subquadrate; uniformly ivory/yellowish in both sexes (diagnostic within Odontocheilina: in other genera ♂ white, ♀ dark). Nocturnal; bare soil and riverine habitats of Neotropical lowlands. Type species: *Phyllodroma cylindricollis* Chaudoir, 1860.
Etymology
From Greek *kainós* (new) + *thýlē* (sack, pouch) — "new pouch", referring to specific genitalia structure.
Species (8)
Distribution map — GBIF occurrences
GBIF · © OpenStreetMap · © CartoDB
Overview
Deep in the riverine forests and open sandy margins of Amazonia, *Cenothyla* Rivalier, 1969 represents one of the lesser-known treasures of Neotropical tiger beetle diversity. This small genus of eight species haunts bare soil habitats by night, its metallic elytra marked with pale spots catching little light in the darkness. Distributed across the Amazon basin and Guiana Shield, *Cenothyla* ranges through Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, and Bolivia. Its distinctive ivory labrum in both sexes sets it apart at a glance from its Odontocheilina relatives.
Type species: Phyllodroma cylindricollis Chaudoir, 1860 [by original designation (Rivalier 1969)]
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — checklist authority 2. Rivalier, E. (1969) — original genus description 3. Moravec, J. (2020) — Cicindelini Vol. 2 — Neotropical Odontocheilina treatment 4. Pearson, D.L. & Vogler, A.P. (2001) — Neotropical Cicindelidae ecology 5. Moravec, J. (2018) — Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical tiger beetle genera of the subtribe Odontocheilina. Vol. 1. Includes definitive revision of Cenothyla Rivalier. Biosférická rezervace Dolní Morava, 623 pp. 6. Duran, D.P. & Gough, H.M. (2020) — Validation of tiger beetles as distinct family (Cicindelidae) and reclassification within Coleoptera. Systematic Entomology 45(4): 723-729. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12440 [validates Cicindelidae as separate family] 7. Gough, H.M., Duran, D.P., Kawahara, A.Y. & Toussaint, E.F.A. (2018) — A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelinae). Systematic Entomology 43(3): 567-586. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12324 [ML phylogeny of 328 taxa, 9 gene regions] 8. Wiesner, J. (2020) — Checklist of the Tiger Beetles of the World, 2nd edition (Verzeichnis der Sandlaufkäfer der Welt, 27. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Cicindelidae). Winterwork, Borsdorf, 534 pp. [Authoritative current world checklist] 9. Horn, W. (1908, 1910, 1915) — Coleoptera Adephaga, fam. Carabidae, subfam. Cicindelinae. In: Wytsman, P. (Ed.) Genera Insectorum, fascicles 82a, 82b, 82c. L. Desmet-Verteneuil, Bruxelles. BHL bibliography/45481 [foundational historical monograph of Cicindelidae, treating all genera known at the time] +6 citations · full list in paid edition
Living Book · World Monograph 2026
Genera and Subgenera of Tiger Beetles
240 genera · 3,715 taxa · 194-character matrix · 12 months free updates