Genus
Micromentignatha
5 species
*Micromentignatha* is a small, metallic tiger beetle genus endemic to Australia, comprising four described species inhabiting open, wet ground on bare sandy or clay substrates. These nocturnal hunters are distinguished by their reduced mentum-tooth and small jaw structures, traits reflected directly in the genus name. Established by Sumlin in 1981 with *Cicindela leai* Sloane, 1905 as type species, the genus remains one of Australia's more compact cicindelid lineages.
Diagnosis
DIAGNOSIS — *Micromentignatha* Sumlin, 1981 Body small, 8–14 mm, depressed-elongate, metallic. Head wider than pronotum; eyes medium. Labrum subquadrate. Mentum-tooth and mandibles relatively small — diagnostic for genus (cf. etymology: *mikrós* + *méntum* + *gnáthos*). Fully winged. Nocturnal. Restricted to bare sandy or clay substrates, Australia. Four species; type species *Cicindela leai* Sloane, 1905.
Etymology
From Greek *mikrós* (small) + *méntum* (Latin chin) + *gnáthos* (Greek jaw) — small mentum/jaw structure.
Species (5)
Distribution map — GBIF occurrences
GBIF · © OpenStreetMap · © CartoDB
Overview
*Micromentignatha* is a small, metallic tiger beetle genus endemic to Australia, comprising four described species inhabiting open, wet ground on bare sandy or clay substrates. These nocturnal hunters are distinguished by their reduced mentum-tooth and small jaw structures, traits reflected directly in the genus name. Established by Sumlin in 1981 with *Cicindela leai* Sloane, 1905 as type species, the genus remains one of Australia's more compact cicindelid lineages.
Type species: Cicindela leai Sloane, 1905 [by original designation, Sumlin 1981: 277]
1. Wiesner, J. (2020) — Checklist of the Tiger Beetles of the World, 2nd ed. Winterwork. [checklist authority; 3 spp. recognized at that time] 2. Wiesner, J. (2021) — Micromentignatha geberti, a new tiger beetle species from Australia. Insecta Mundi 0898: 1-5. ZooBank urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A51F544E-C79B-4C5A-83EA-9D3919021B66 [original description of 4th species; revised key and synonymic catalog of genus] 3. Sumlin, W.D. (1981) — Studies on the Australian Cicindelidae II: New taxa from Australia. The Coleopterists Bulletin 35(3): 273-280. [original genus description; type species: Cicindela leai Sloane, 1905] 4. Freitag, R. (1979) — Reclassification, phylogeny and zoogeography of the Australian species of Cicindela. Australian Journal of Zoology, Suppl.Series 66: 1-99. [pre-Sumlin Australian Cicindela framework; key reference for synonymy] 5. Knisley, C.B. & Pearson, D.L. (1984) — Biosystematics of larval tiger beetles, Sulphur Springs Valley, Arizona. Trans.Am.Entomol.Soc. 110: 465-551. 6. Duran, D.P. & Gough, H.M. (2020) — Validation of tiger beetles as a distinct family. Systematic Entomology 45(4): 723-729. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12440 7. Gough, H.M., Duran, D.P., Kawahara, A.Y. & Toussaint, E.F.A. (2018) — Comprehensive molecular phylogeny of tiger beetles. Syst.Entomol. 43(3): 567-586. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12324 8. Review of Genus Cicindela, Sumlin (1984) — Entomological News 95(5)(p.189-199) XII.1984 Studies of Australian Cic.III; Review of Genus Cicindel
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Genera and Subgenera of Tiger Beetles
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