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free LC species Endemic · US medium

Ellipsoptera blanda

(Dejean, 1831)

Common name: Sandy Tiger Beetle

Tribe
Cicindelini
Subtribe
Cicindelina
Bioregion
Nearctic
Countries
1
Body length
11 mm
Habitat
coastal-sandy
Activity
diurnal
Wings
macropterous

Distribution

USA (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland, Carolina, North Carolina, Florida)

Coastal habitatBiome: Coastal sandy
Provinces: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland, Carolina, North Carolina, Florida

Flight period

I

Active June–September (peak Jun–Aug)

Similar to: Resembles Apterodela, Cicindela, Cicindelidia
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII

VI,VII,VIII

Key diagnostic characters

DIAGNOSIS — *Ellipsoptera* Dokhtouroff, 1882 Body medium (9–15 mm), elongate-cursorial habitus. Head wider than pronotum; eyewith large, protuberant.

Precise distribution

US

Confidence profile

geo:M|bio:H|morph:H|pheno:I|elev:I|obs:M

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Genera and Subgenera of Tiger Beetles

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Taxonomic notes

Original combination: [orig. comb.] cuprascens (LeConte, 1856) (LeConte, 1856)

Originally described as cuprascens (LeConte, 1856); transferred to Ellipsoptera

Synonym: Cicindela cuprascens (LeConte, 1856) [basionym]

Data quality: 75/100  ·  Source: GBIF; Wiesner2020; matrix-morphology  ·  Verified by V. Štrunc · Audited: 2026-05-13

Frequently asked

What is the Coppery Tiger Beetle? ▾
Among the tiger beetles of North America, Ellipsoptera stands apart as a specialist of bare sandy shores — riverbanks, lakeshores, and coastal margins where few competitors venture. The roughly 14 species of this Nearctic genus are largely nocturnal hunters, their metallic bodies flashing under mo
Where does the Coppery Tiger Beetle live? ▾
It specialises in coastal sandy habitats. distributed across the Nearctic region. with records from USA (Missi
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